The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 4, 2015

When we last saw the Toxic Avenger, he saved Japan and Tromaville from Apocalypse Inc., using his monster gifts to protect the innocent from pollution and corporate abuse. True to form, Troma Entertainment isn’t about to let their cash-cow take a rest, reviving the “superhero from New Jersey” for 1989’s “The Toxic Avenger: Part III – The Last Temptation of Toxie,” a sequel that basically admits defeat from the opening act. Loud and cheaply made, the continuation of the saga tries to sustain irreverence and gore, utilizing Troma’s silly sense of humor to fuel yet another round of one-liners and lethargic battles. The creative tank is clearly out of gas for this follow-up, but that doesn’t stop directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz from trying to staple together a continuation made out of random ideas and footage from “The Toxic Avenger: Part II.”

After saving the world from Apocalypse Inc., The Toxic Avenger (played by Ron Fazio and John Altamura) settles back into life in Tromaville with his blind girlfriend, Claire (Phoebe Legere). Without evil to battle, life begins to bore Toxie, who works odd jobs to pay the bills, but still can’t make enough money. Learning of an eye transplant operation that could restore Claire’s sight, Toxie is tasked to find $357,000 to pay for the procedure. Sensing an opportunity, the Apocalypse Inc. Chairman (Rick Collins) tempts Toxic with a contract to become his assistant, giving the monster his money in exchange for publicity and enforcer efforts that help the polluting corporation as it gradually destroys Tromaville. Trading his soul for his love, Toxie is left to question his destructive actions.

“The Last Temptation of Toxie” is essentially a continuation of “Part II,” even recycling scenes from the previous picture to reintroduce the wrath of Apocalypse Inc. The practice is absurd, almost punishing those who dutifully sat through the first sequel, but Troma being Troma, any opportunity to save budgetary bucks is welcome. Instead of an upgrade in production value and comedic invention, the new chapter is just like the last one, following Toxie back to Tromaville, which has become a safe haven for all, entering a golden age where crime is no longer a concern thanks to the monster with a mop, who retreats to his garbage dump home to live peacefully with Claire.

The feature certainly isn’t a meditative piece on the price of do-goodery, with The Chairman swiftly reintroduced with a special plan to turn Toxie against his adoring public. The eye operation subplot is passable, giving Legere substantially more to do in the sequel than simply stand around in lingerie, and it motivates Toxie into action, with the green ghoul helping Apocalypse Inc. take over Tromaville, even kicking grannies out of their homes. Participating in evil for love, Toxie is left a suicidal wreck, haunted by nightmares hosted by his pre-monster self, Melvin (Michael J. Kaplan). There’s a tantalizing question of duality raised in “The Last Temptation of Toxie,” with our hero taunted by the life he once enjoyed as a human. The finale of the film returns to this issue with more explosive results, and trips into various dreamscapes provide forward momentum for the story, but it doesn’t last for very long.

“The Last Temptation of Toxie” is most comfortable with mayhem, opening with an inspired assault sequence at a Tromaville video store, where the monster utilizes the power of video tape and VCRs to beat down a group of punks looking for trouble. Chaos erupts at home as well, finding Claire’s fresh eyesight charging the couple’s sex life to such an extreme, it sets off a fireworks display at their dump. Action isn’t tight in “The Last Temptation of Toxie,” but it’s plentiful, remaining true to Troma’s deployment of gross-outs and absurdity, though the whole enterprise is a step down from the first sequel’s Japanese adventures, which permitted “Part II” a unique personality.

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't working with a grandly visual effort to begin with, but the basics of "The Last Temptation of Toxie" appear to be preserved here. Colors aren't vibrant, but primaries remain intact, detailing Toxie's drab world of poisonous chemicals and heaps of trash, while Claire's outfits bring out brighter shades of red and pink. Tromaville visits are also varied and secure. Grain is present, holding filmic and fine. Delineation is acceptable, managing darker scenes without losing screen information. Source material is in rough shape, with judder and scratches detected throughout, along with a substantial amount of debris.

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix is primarily devoted to chaos, with most of the screeching, screaming audio used to pummel the listener, not welcome them into this oddball superhero world. There's limited definition, with dialogue exchanges on the muffled side. Intelligibility isn't completely lost, but the track struggles with clarity. Soundtrack cuts are thick and blunt, while scoring doesn't make an impression, chirping indistinctly in the background. Atmospherics are pronounced but rarely separated. Hiss and pops are constant throughout the movie, and there's a substantial moment of damage around the 21:00 mark.

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (3:34, SD) catches up with Troma President Lloyd Kaufman in Denmark, where he welcomes viewers to the "Last Temptation of Toxie" Blu-ray and finds a pair of locals who love to mock him.

• Commentary #1 features Kaufman.

• Commentary #2 features actor Joe Flieshaker.

• "Make Your Own Damn Horror Film" (11:26, SD) follows Kaufman to the set of "Old 37," a horror picture starring Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley. Arriving to film a cameo, Kaufman kills time interviewing the cast and crew, trying to impart low-budget moviemaking tips while quizzing the professionals on their jobs. Interestingly, the director, Christian Winters, who doesn't seem to understand what he's doing, eventually took his name off the final product.

• "A Halloween Carol" (9:54, HD) stars Kaufman in a reworking of "A Christmas Carol," only here spirits from beyond visit the face of Troma to show him what a world without the company's releases on YouTube would be like.

• "'Rabid Grannies' on Blu-ray" (1:56, HD) is faux infomercial for what will likely end up being one of the worst BD releases of 2015. Don't believe Kaufman's promise of a "crystal clear" HD upgrade.

• "Pests" (1:17, HD) finds Kaufman settled comfortably in his cardboard box home, promising the creation of a novel, with chapters released every Friday on the Troma website.

• "Radiation March" (:56, SD) is a short dance piece concerning the dangers of pollution.

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

• "TroMoMa" (11:40, HD) follows Lloyd Kaufman into the Museum of Modern Art, celebrating the selection of "Return to Nuke 'Em High: Volume 1" as part of "The Contenders" film series. Nerves are shared along with a Q&A, and the evening is capped with a Bollywood-style dance on stage.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:00, SD) is included.

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The feature saves most of its energy for a 45-minute-long finale, where the superhero does battle with The Devil, who challenges Toxie to a video game-inspired test of endurance, which includes a fire battle and a race to save a school bus filled with kids (film reversal being the moviemakers' favorite tool). The climax is roughly made up of 90% screaming, keeping it hard on the senses as it drags out for what feels like years, but make-up efforts are ambitious, and the production is certainly out to please with an orgy of violence. Sadly, much of "The Last Temptation of Toxie" is too slapdash to truly matter, quickly burying the few intriguing ideas that manage to surface during the run time.