Return of the Killer Tomatoes
As I sat down with a nice refreshing cold can of Pepsi and popped in Big Breasted Girls Go To The Beach And Take Their Tops Off Return of the Killer Tomatoes, I knew that my night was going to be a delight. It could have been the tasty Pepsi or perhaps the crunchy and highly nutritious Kellogs Corn Flakes I happened to be eating that made me smile, but I like to think it was the fact that Return of the Killer Tomatoes knows exactly what I look for in an 80s horror/comedy. In the vein of hits like Airplane! and The Naked Gun, Return of the Killer Tomatoes is a spoof flick turned up to 11. It’s an infectiously fun flick with ample laughs, product placement and fourth wall breaking that will make any movie fan smile. It also has George Clooney in it, who I assume doesn’t like to admit he was.
Product Information
DISCS: 1
RUN-TIME: 98 min
ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
RESOLUTION: 1080p
AUDIO: LPCM 2.0
LANGUAGE: English
SUBTITLES: English SDH
REGION: Region Free
RATING: PG
PRODUCTION DATE: 1988
RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2016
Plot Summary
THE VEGETABLES OF DOOM! The killer tomatoes are back! But this time around, they’re going to have to contend with late ’80s George Clooney and his wicked mullet… Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Nope, it’s Return of the Killer Tomatoes! Ten years on from the Great Tomato War, mankind lives in fear of another uprising by the waxy red menace. Meanwhile, Professor Gangreen – played with gusto by the great John Astin from TV’s The Addams Family – sets out to pursue his own evil ends by creating a burgeoning army of tomato militia men (who, somewhat conveniently, look just like regular men). Following on from the 1978 cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Return of the Killer Tomatoes came armed with a healthy sense of its own ridiculousness and would expand upon a franchise that now comprises four films, two TV series and a video game. So what are you waiting for? Make Return of the Killer Tomatoes one of your five-a-day now!
Movie Review
Return of the Killer Tomatoes picks up ten years after the crazy uprising of tomatoes. The Great Tomato War was a deadly time, but mankind was able to exterminate the red menace. Society has now put a ban on tomatoes, which results in our lead character Chad’s (Anthony Starke) pizza shack having some of the most disgusting pizzas ever.
Professor Gangreen (John Astin), who was behind the original tomato war, wants to bring back the killer tomatoes. He makes a device that when mixed with toxic waste, will turn tomatoes into shirtless Rambo men or sexy babes and the occasional celebrity. It’s a rather confusing and nonsensical method using music, but it works. Professor Gangreen’s servant, the vivacious Tara escapes with a fuzzy mutated tomato and ends up in Chad’s arms. Chad and his friend Matt (George Clooney) aren’t aware that Tara is actually a tomato in human form, but they will soon find out the truth, rocking Chad to the core. Meanwhile, Professor Gangreen sends out his sidekick Igor, an aspiring TV news anchor in the making, to find Tara, while he continues pumping out tomato men to make a giant army to take over the world. Eventually, the budget for the movie runs out and the only way to keep it going is by doing a ton of product placement resulting in a lot of laughs and a couple random cowboys and ninjas.
Return of the Killer Tomatoes is through and through a spoof that never once takes itself seriously. It’s the kind of flick that you throw in, sit back and just laugh your ass off at. The plot is paper thin, the acting is over the top and the entire premise of the movie is pure genius. The only thing that could have made this movie any better was more big breasted girls taking their tops off at the beach.
Blu-ray Opinion
I hate to admit it, but I solely place any sort of disappointment with this release on the lack of substantial special features. Now, I’m not expecting a ton of interviews, but I would have enjoyed more. The one with do get with Anthony Starke is enjoyable, though. There is, however, an audio commentary with writer-director John De Bello and the colour booklet is an enjoyable enough read. Still, I really wish we could have had more people sit down and discuss this cult gem.
As for the audio/visual side of the disc, there will be no complaints coming from yours truly. The high definition 1080p transfer keeps the lovely grain intact, with no major damage. The uncompressed PCM audio option is loud and clear, blasting the Killer Tomatoes theme song through your speakers.
Special Features
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Stereo audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary with writer-director John De Bello
- Brand new interview with star Anthony Starke
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
- Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by critic James Oliver
Verdict
Even if the Return of the Killer Tomatoes Blu-ray is lacking features, I still highly recommend picking it up. The movie is a solid laugh riot, with its tongue firmly placed in cheek.