The Toxic Avenger arrives in theaters later this week, and with a second wave of reviews counted, we have a Rotten Tomatoes score for filmmaker Macon Blair's reboot.
With a total of 36 reviews, the remake of the 1984 cult classic sits at 89% on the review aggregator. That makes it 2025's best-reviewed comic book movie, beating the likes of Thunderbolts* and Superman. The difference, of course, is that Toxie debuted on screen before the page.
The Critics Consensus reads, "Like the original, The Toxic Avenger isn't for everyone -- but viewers seeking an extremely gory, extremely silly good time won't be disappointed."
There's always an understandable level of scepticism surrounding remakes, and The Toxic Avenger has come under a fair bit of scrutiny (especially as it's sat in limbo for the better part of two years). With this new take, though, Blair has set an impressive franchise record.
The Toxic Avenger is better-reviewed than the 1984 original (70%), the 1989 sequel, The Toxic Avenger, Part II (0%), and The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (that doesn't have a score on the Tomatometer, but was awarded 25% by moviegoers).
2000's Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV received positive reviews (64%), but this latest effort is the clear winner when it comes to critical acclaim.
"The Toxic Avenger delivers a gloriously demented new take on Toxie and proves to be a delightfully unhinged experience full of violence, hilarious, weird jokes, and even a little bit of heart thrown in for good measure," we said in our recent review of the movie.
In The Toxic Avenger, when a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to saviour, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant...justice is best served radioactive.
The Toxic Avenger is directed & written by Macon Blair (I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore), the reboot of the 1980s dark cult comedy stars Emmy and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the titular character "Toxie," with Kevin Bacon (Hollow Man), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), Taylour Paige (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), Jacob Tremblay (Room) and Jane Levy (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist).
The Toxic Avenger will be in theaters on August 29, 2025. You can check out our interview with Blair in the player below.