When Troma started working on a sequel to The Toxic Avenger, times were admittedly tough for the studio. After the failure of Troma’s War, the studio had been blacklisted from Hollywood and relegated to much smaller fare. While they had a $2 million budget, Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman got overly ambitious with his toxic sequel. The original cut of the sequel was four hours long, so naturally, they had to split it in half. The first half was released as The Toxic Avenger Part II in February 1989 while the second half continued. Though the last film was made primarily in Tokyo, this one would return to New York and New Jersey. Much of the cast and crew returned, and Mark Torgl from the original was supposed to return, but he declined. Finally, November 1989 saw the release of The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie.
%
Rating
Synopsis
After running Apocalypse Inc out of Tromaville, the Toxic Avenger (Ron Fazio) has become depressed despite bringing peace to Tromaville. While failing at getting work, Toxie and his blind girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere) find a way to restore her eyesight. Unfortunately, the procedure costs more than they can afford, but hope comes when Toxie gets a job opportunity. This comes from Apocalypse Inc, whose Chairman (Rick Collins) offers Toxie money for Claire’s surgery in exchange for his services. He accepts the offer, much to the shock of the Tromaville citizens, who feel betrayed by their so-called hero. Things get worse once Toxie’s ego inflates, and soon he sees how the citizens of Tromaville have rejected him. Toxie eventually learns the error of his ways, works to restore the people’s trust and confronts the Chairman. It’s soon revealed that the Chairman is The Devil himself, and Toxie has to stop him.
Review
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, like its predecessor, has problems but is still fun. From its opening sequence at a video store to the showdown with The Devil, you’re in for a wild ride. Speaking of which, while the opening sequence seems out of place, it’s a great showcase of some cartoonishly grisly effects. Guts are ripped out, faces are erased, arms are crushed in a VCR, and heads are ripped off via mop. Admittedly, the film starts dragging after the opening sequence, especially when they start using stock footage from the last film. The story picks up significantly once Toxie confronts the Chairman/Devil, but there’s only about a half-hour left by then. At slightly under an hour and 45 minutes, the film feels padded and dragged out to reach feature-length. That said, this still provides everything that a Troma fan could ask for.
Ron Fazio gives another solid performance as Toxie, clearly having fun as the loveable creature of superhuman size and strength. Phoebe Legere is an over-the-top ditz with her performance, though she gets to show off more of her musical talents. Like before, Rick Collins and Lisa Gaye give wonderfully hammy performances as the villains, Rick getting more screentime this time. The scene where he transforms into The Devil is grisly and horrific, just what you’d expect from a Troma film. Michael Jai White and Troma regular Joe Fleishaker make appearances, but they’re relegated to the background with hardly any lines. There are some fun fourth wall jokes thrown in for good measure, though they can sometimes be distracting. Like the last film, this is a bit of a mess, but it’s still a good time. Overall, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie is enjoyable schlock.
Buy The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kDg2P6
