The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie

Dir: Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz

1989

**

Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz's sequel to their original 1984 The Toxic Avenger was so long that it was decided at Troma headquarters that it should be re-edited and made into two separate films. It's safe to say that fans of the original didn't much like the two sequels and each story felt a little muddled. I actually rather liked The Toxic Avenger Part II, I thought it was funny, inventive and the right kind of ridiculous. I can't say the same about The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie however. It looks as if Part II got all the good cuts and Part III is a collection of whatever was left from the cutting room floor (not that Troma does editing particularly well). The opening scene that involves an attack on a Video Store (which is in turn an attack on the larger Video Store chains taking over the independent stores) was somewhat of a return to form but it went down-hill rapidly thereafter. There are a lot of repeated scenes from the last film and few scenes of any real worth. It picks up a bit when Melvin returns but, rather disappointingly, it is a different actor from the original film (Mark Torgl was offered the chance to reprise the role but declined due to 'pay issues' - presumably, he wasn't prepared to act for free). The big ending which saw Toxie take on Satan himself should have been an epic showdown, and while Satan's entrance is probably still the best special effect Troma have ever performed, it is a huge anti-climax. The first two film push the boundaries of good taste, are gory, full of nudity and are as about as over the top as you can get. They are also hugely inventive. The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie is boring, has none of what people liked from the first or what made it a cult classic in the first place. It looks exactly like what it is, a combination of scenes that were never intended to go together. I'm all for strange and I like a bit of 'dumb fun' now and again but this is Troma/Kaufman pulling a fast one. Kaufman himself has said he doesn't much care for the film, so I'm not sure how anyone else is supposed to.