Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 20, 2015

Eager to horrify audiences with all new depths of depravity, Troma Entertain reaches, quite intentionally, a specific low point with 2000’s “Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV,” their final installment in the weirdly enduring franchise. Director/co-writer Lloyd Kaufman throws everything he can into this sequel, working up a sweat to transform the picture into the most offensive movie in the history of the company, swerving wildly as the production makes fun of school shootings, the mentally challenged, lynching, and abortion. Granted, Troma isn’t one to play nice, always begging for attention, but there are limits to how much odious behavior one can take from a helmer who can’t even conquer basic camera focus issues. At 109 minutes, “Citizen Toxie” feels like it runs an entire decade, with grotesque shenanigans and strident performances losing their appeal after 109 seconds. The Superhero from New Jersey is back for his fourth adventure, but perhaps three of these things were enough.

Inside the Tromaville School for the Very Special, the Diaper Mafia has taken staff and students hostage, planting a bomb as they carry out their plan to terrorize the city. Helping to save the day is the Toxic Avenger (played by David Mattey, voiced by Clyde Lewis), who, joined by sidekick Lardass (Joe Fleishaker), manages to disrupt the nightmare with his sheer chemical power. However, an accident with the bomb manages to split dimensions, sending Toxie to Amortville, where nobody recognizes the superhero. Back in Tromaville, doppelganger Noxie rises to power, spreading his evil everywhere, making life impossible for the desperate community. Searching for a way back to his dimension, Toxie is more concerned about blind girlfriend Sarah (Heidi Sjursen), with the safety of her pregnancy on the line as good vs. evil do battle inside the womb.

“Citizen Toxie” is far more complicated than the above attempt at a synopsis suggests, with the screenwriters cooking up a knotted narrative that also includes the Nazi-esque police of Tromaville, a league of budget superheroes (including Master-Bater and The Vibrator -- guess their superpowers) called in to pick up where Toxie left off, and a supporting turn from Sgt. Kabukiman (Paul Kyrmse), another Troma icon who plays an important part in ruining Toxie’s life, despite being his best friend. There are four people credited for the screenplay, and “Citizen Toxie” feels like a movie where random ideas were yelled out during a particularly feverish story session, quickly committed to paper and never considered again. The feature is a grab-bag of ideas and jokes, and while the tale covers inter-dimensional travel, it really doesn’t have a focal point, with Kaufman simply taking the sequel opportunity to make something loud and crude. Actual interest in continuing the Toxic Avenger saga isn’t a priority here.

Opening with narration from Stan Lee, “Citizen Toxie” immediately dismisses the first two follow-ups, pronouncing the latest effort to be the “real sequel.” It’s a bold move from Kaufman, who attempts to infuse his moneymaking series with pure chaos, hoping to revive the characters with aggressive visuals (editing is a real mess here) and insistent black comedy. The feature really isn’t about Toxie and Noxie, it’s about the production’s capacity for bad taste, proudly staging outrageous events that reference the Columbine High School massacre and the lynching of James Byrd, Jr. There’s also an extended sequence spotlighting Sarah’s interest in abortion, visiting a clinic where the staff is loaded with raving lunatics wielding intimidating surgical instruments. Of course, Troma has built a brand name with ugliness, and “Citizen Toxie” has all the requisite disembowelings, dismemberments, and head-smashings to satisfy hardcore fans. Kaufman keeps the gore coming in substantial amounts, never fearful of pushing the violence too far. However, there’s a cloud of desperation hanging over the proceedings, with such amplification of awfulness wearing thin quickly, losing its shock value the longer Kaufman lingers on poorly-acted ghastliness. The humor isn’t mean-spirited, just miscalculated and endless.

Famous face help to brighten “Citizen Toxie,” with Kaufman going the “Muppet Movie” route, filling his production with stars only he could attract. There’s Ron Jeremy (as the Tromaville mayor), Al Goldstein, Lemmy Kilmister, Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, Julie Strain, Corey Feldman, and a pre-“Guardians of the Galaxy” James Gunn (portraying Doctor Flem Hocking, the wheelchair-bound theoretical physicist tasked with explaining the nonsense plot). The cameos are amusing, revealing degrees of professional commitment that help the picture along. Kaufman also gets a kick out of film tributes, making room to nail a particularly effective reference to the feature’s namesake, “Citizen Kane.”

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation manages to do "Citizen Toxie" justice to a certain degree. Detail is satisfactory despite some degree of softness, delivering on the gruesome close-ups Kaufman favors, identifying deep wounds and internal organs, while the varied cast comes through with intended definition. Colors are stable and communicative, eased along by the production's enjoyment of primaries and bold decoration, with costumes a particular highlight. Skintones are natural. Grain is managed to filmic standards. Source hits a few rough patches with speckling, scratches, and debris, but holds together overall.

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix continues Troma's interest in boiling down their Blu-ray tracks to the bare minimum. Definition is missing from the listening event, which largely contains a jumble of sound effects, music, and dialogue exchanges, though nothing is completely smothered, with intelligibility surviving. Range isn't crisp, emerging as more of a blunt instrument, keeping to a routine of manic energy. It's thin and unimpressive, but easy enough to follow.

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (3:15, HD) catches up with Lloyd Kaufman at Stan Lee's Comikaze, where he's joined by Gabe Friedman ("Poultrygeist" screenwriter and editor of "Citizen Toxie") and "Transgender Toxie" to discuss this "lovingly recreated" Blu-ray.

• Commentary #1 features Kaufman.

• Commentary #2 features producer Trent Haaga and actor Michael Budinger.

• Commentary #3 features editors Friedman and Sean McGrath.

• "Apocalypse Soon" (147:50, SD) is a sprawling making-of that delivers a terrific fly-on-the-wall perspective on the "Citizen Toxie" shoot. Nothing is denied here, highlighting casting, location shooting, and crew camaraderie, though Kaufman is the primary focus, with his easily frustrated directorial style displayed in full. "Uncle Lloyd" has limited patience with problems, coming up against camera malfunctions, crew walkouts, and actresses who refuse to do nudity, managing a mix of anger and passive aggressive behavior that's an absolute treat to watch. "Apocalypse Soon" is a very thorough and honest portrait of Troma moviemaking, identifying the challenges of limited budgets and amateur contributions. It's an outstanding documentary.

• "The American Cinematheque Honors 40 Years of Troma" (2:03, SD) is a montage of company achievements, scored to song by Motorhead.

• "Troma's Tribute to Lemmy" (8:14, SD) is a collection of moments spent with the Motorhead frontman, who's been a longtime studio supporter.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Citizen Toxie" misfires on multiple levels, but the suggestion that this is the one true continuation for the superhero story stings the most. Kaufman fumbles irreverence and focuses too hard on shock value, forgetting the mild but present pleasures of the original effort and its less successful sequels. Instead of building a stronger, more colorful Tromaville for Toxie to protect, he's essentially created a giant mess of ideas and personalities trying to pass as a macabre extravaganza. The mop is officially all dried out.