Verdict
Summary
On the heels of weird and wacky cartoons that spawned from other media such as comic books or more adult-rated feature films (think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Rambo: The Force of Freedom), Troma’s very R-rated feature films The Toxic Avenger and its sequels somehow miraculously got translated into kid territory with the colorful and truly bizarre Toxic Crusaders.
Plot:
A nerdy custodian is transformed into a hideous slimeball hero.
Review:
Tromaville resembles a dystopian trash heap with toxic waste chemicals floating in the atmosphere, and an overlord named Dr. Killemoff (an alien from another planet called Smogula) revels in the filth of it all, but he’s also heavily burdened with a breathing machine and face mask like Darth Vader so that he can exist on Earth. He surrounds himself with severely mutated minions such as Mayor Grody and Psycho (voiced by Oscar nominee Michael J. Pollard) while he lords over the evil corporation Apocalypse Inc., from which plumes of toxic gasses emanate. Meanwhile, a meek and humble custodian is transformed by toxic waste into a hideous slimeball of a man named Toxie, who finds true love in a blonde bimbo named Yvonne, but what’s even better is that he isn’t alone in his ugliness: He has a whole squad of mutant heroes to hang out with, including No-Zone (a sneezer), Major Disaster (a plant guy), Head-Banger (a blonde surfer), Junkyard (a dog man), and the Siamese twin guy Dr. Bender. These are … The Toxic Crusaders!
On the heels of weird and wacky cartoons that spawned from other media such as comic books or more adult-rated feature films (think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Rambo: The Force of Freedom), Troma’s very R-rated feature films The Toxic Avenger and its sequels somehow miraculously got translated into kid territory with the colorful and truly bizarre Toxic Crusaders, which I vividly remember watching as a pre-teen kid. I also remember that the action figures (which were cool!) all ended up at Pic’n’Save for two bucks each. The cartoon series only lasted 13 episodes, but it remained in my consciousness all my life ever since, and watching it now brings it all back in garish and florescent green color. It’s literally the only Troma content I would let my kids watch, and while it’s a little bit subversive and nudging towards the garish, I still find it to be a fun watch.
Troma has just released a two-disc Blu-ray of the entire series, and if you have the DVD set leftover from any previous collections, this edition is sharper and more clear without any blur whatsoever. If you’re a fan, then this is a good buy.
Bonus Materials
- New introduction by Lloyd Kaufman
- Original Toxic Crusaders toy commercials and TV spots
- Feature length documentary about the making of the Toxic Crusaders video game from Retroware
- Long lost archival footage of your favorite mop wielding mutant
- Bonus cartoons
