Attack of the Killer Tomatoes hit the scene in 1978 as a lighthearted spoof of monster flicks and B-movies, and it ironically became part of the canon. Although critics didn't love it, it became a cult hit with audiences and spawned an entire franchise that ran through the early '90s.
The second film, Return of the Killer Tomatoes (my personal favorite), came out ten years later and is infamous as one of George Clooney's earliest roles. This iteration is meta and self-aware, constantly breaks the fourth wall, and introduces Fuzzy Tomato (FT), a furry little guy who hops around and makes adorable sounds. Professor Mortimer Gangreen (John Astin) also debuts here and becomes a fan favorite, appearing in every subsequent sequel in some capacity.
A few years later, in 1991, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back continues the saga as a direct-to-video release, this time parodying police procedurals and erotic thrillers. Up to this point in the franchise, the tomatoes have been "real" for the most part, with some of the humor coming from the fact that it is obvious they are being tossed at the actors from off-screen or rolled down a hill just off camera. Now they have intricate faces (that remind me of those Madballs toys from the '80s), puppets, animatronics, and the practical effects are excellent.
Killer Tomatoes Eat France! (1992) was also a direct-to-video release that takes the squishy red killers on an international adventure in France. For whatever reason, the plot gets caught up in French local politics as Professor Gangreen tries to start a second revolution and replace the country's current leader. The most interesting aspect is the evolution of the tomatoes' anthropomorphism; they not only have human-like faces, but they also speak English! Their designs are fantastic, and it is amusing to see that the lower the budget, the better the tomatoes look.
This brings us to the present day, 2026, and after a 34-year hiatus, the tomatoes are finally back in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence (which could be a recession indicator). The world is a different place, and there is a lot to ketchup with. The internet, social media, and artificial intelligence are all hot topics that this film is eager to explore. To address the elephant in the room, this film does utilize a bit of Gen AI, which this critic is not a fan of, to say the least. That said, it is a small amount, thematic, and thankfully most of the film's effects are practical.
The tomatoes have been upgraded and are now part of the VegIntel Corporation, with a product called MyTomato, an Alexa-like electronic device that will be installed in everyone's home. The government is doing some suspicious behind-the-scenes stuff with the data, in cahoots with CEO Kate Patel (Samantha Bailey), who is also secretly working with Professor Gangreen, who is sadly a voice-only cameo by Astin.
For the most part, this decades-later sequel works quite well, mostly because the writers have always had a keen eye for pop culture and the current zeitgeist, and they deftly mix those observations with silly jokes and old-school humor. Ironically, however, the modern digital era of movies looks cheaper than it is, and it shows whenever they flashback to clips from the older films, which look more organic and alive because they were shot on film. That isn't this project's fault, of course, because shooting on film now is an expensive luxury, but it is an interesting observation about the trajectory of B-movies.
Overall, Organic Intelligence is a lighthearted entry in the franchise that is better than it has any right to be, and it's obvious a lot of love and passion went into it.
--Michelle Kisner