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3[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Killertomatoes_video_cover_1489.jpg]]
4[[caption-width-right:320:''You've never seen a film like it!'']]
5
6->''Attack of the killer tomatoes!''\
7''Attack of the killer tomatoes!''\
8''They'll beat you, bash you, squish you, mash you, chew you up for brunch!''\
9''And finish you off''\
10''For dinner and lunch!''
11
12Tomatoes. You pickle them for your ketchup. You squish them for your tomato juice. You cut them to pieces and feast on their raw corpses in your salads. You treat them like vegetables.
13
14But tomatoes are fruits.
15
16And they're not going to take it anymore.
17
18In 1978, a film was made spoofing B monster movies, in which tomatoes mysteriously gain sentience and mobility, becoming killer tomatoes, which then attack. It was, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin sensibly]], called ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!'' No genre was safe as the self-billed "Musical-Comedy-Horror Show" ripped up everything from romantic comedies to spy films, pausing long enough to take pot shots at superheroes and politics. Despite being made for less than $100,000, it's generally regarded as a failure at the box office. It, nonetheless, earned a cult following and became, much like ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', a defining example of a film that's ''deliberately'' SoBadItsGood.
19
20This would have been the end for the red menace (no, not '''that''' [[DirtyCommunists red menace]]), if it hadn't been for an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'' using footage from the film to narrate a story called, "Attack of the Silly Tomatoes". It was a highly rated episode and New World Pictures (which owned [[Creator/DepatieFrelengEnterprises Marvel Productions]]) inexplicably decided the world needed a sequel and offered the creators of the original 2 million dollars to film one.
21
22->''Return of the killer tomatoes!\
23Return of the killer tomatoes!\
24The theme song still remains the same\
25[[RecycledPlot The plot itself has hardly changed]]\
26A guaranteed bet for fortune and fame!''
27
28''Return of the Killer Tomatoes!'' was released in 1988 and featured the same devotion to quality special effects, acting skills, and tightly scripted dialog as the first film: Still none detectable. Although it clearly does benefit from the increased budget, the film retains the original's tongue-in-cheek self-aware bad-movie quality, only now with more sex jokes. This film also introduces the villainous MadScientist [[MeaningfulName Professor Gangreen]], played by Creator/JohnAstin, who apparently enjoyed [[ChewingTheScenery chewing on the scenery]] a lot as he returned for every subsequent sequel (and the AnimatedAdaptation, where his name was changed from "Mortimer" to "Putrid" and his title became Doctor).
29
30The plot, such as it is, takes place ten years after the first film. Tomatoes have been outlawed! But, alas, the younger generation has forgotten the threat they pose, and tomato smuggling is at an all-time high. Chad Finletter, nephew of the hero of the Tomato Wars, has fallen for Tara, who serves the mysterious doctor Gangrene. Little does Chad know that Tara has a dark secret; she is secretly ''a tomato!'' Can true love bring peace to all, or will blood prove thicker than ketchup?
31
32Any further description of the plot is probably unnecessary. You're either already overwhelmed with an uncontrollable urge to watch this turkey or pondering if its existence indicates western civilization is beyond hope. Possibly both. Would it help if we told you Creator/GeorgeClooney was in it?
33
34''Return of the Killer Tomatoes!'' was a moderate success, and the executives behind it made the kind of decision only corporate executives can make without being deemed insane: What these two non-child-friendly films really need to follow them up is a [[AnimatedAdaptation Saturday morning cartoon]] (also done by Marvel Productions), on the fledgling Creator/FoxKids Network.
35
36->''[[TitleThemeTune Attack... of the Killer Tomatoes!]]\
37ATTACK... of the Killer TOMATOES!!!\
38From Gangrene's lab come forth each week\
39The ripe red monsters of which we speak\
40Except when he has... a security leak!\
41TOMATOES! TOMATOES!\
42(kazoo solo!)\
43Oh... isn't it a pity!\
44Tomatoes... are eating the city!\
45Can no one stop these mutant fruits?\
46Where will we find our brave recruits?\
47[[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Can Wilbur get rid... of that dumb parachute?]]\
48TOMATOES! TOMATOES! TOMATOES!''
49
50Called ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!'', but based mostly on ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes!'', it tones down the sex and violence, ups the kiddy antics, and adds in a huge dose of satire to make it tolerable to adults. The result is stunningly watchable, which, sadly, also meant it would be ScrewedByTheNetwork. One notable feature of the series was the large number of FourthWall jokes, including the regular appearance of Censor Lady, the woman charged with keeping the show suitable for children. In one memorable appearance in the episode ''Spatula, Prinze of Dorkness'', she demanded the vampire tomato that Gangrene had created to cease talking about biting and blood, and do something more wholesome to turn victims into vampires, such as kissing them... and guess who wound up as '''the first victim'''!
51
52The first season was a spoof on movies, while the second had a plot for world domination.
53
54While the animated series didn't last long, two further movies were made: ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back!'' and ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France!'' An Platform/Atari2600 game was an {{Homage}} to the film, called ''Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes'', and an adaptation of the cartoon [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_of_the_Killer_Tomatoes_(1991_video_game) released in 1991 on the NES]].
55
56----
57!!Tropes in this series:
58
59* AdaptationalNationality: In the original film, Killer Tomato Task Force member Greta Attenbaum was German, but Mary Jo Nagamininashy, her equivalent in the animated series, is Russian.
60* AdaptationNameChange: The animated series has Professor Mortimer Gangreen referred to as Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen. In addition, underwater expert Greg Colburn is renamed Floyd Bridgework and German Olympic athlete Gretta Attenbaum becomes a Russian athlete referred to as Mary Jo Nagamininashy.
61* [[CarChase Alleged Car Chase]]:
62** Between two [[AllegedCar geriatric clunkers]] that go so slowly that Mason catches up with the other guy by getting out and running him down on foot.
63** Parodied in the second movie when Igor tries to start a car chase but crashes immediately because the movie doesn't have the budget for it.
64* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: All over the place in ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', most notably with the French subtitle translating the film's title as "Le Tomatoes Francais Munch Munch" and a Frenchman yelling at Gangreen "Deja vu! Potpourri! Soup du jour!" as if those words were supposed to be insults.
65* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Gangreen has green skin in the animated series. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] due to the explanation that it's the result of a prank pulled on him by a rival.
66* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: In ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', after the tour guide is eaten by the giant tomato, her group (whom she'd been dragging through Gangrene's enormous castle hideout with no regard to their health or welfare) celebrate her demise, with one even bemoaning being out of film.
67* AnimatedAdaptation: An animated series that shares its title with the first film but is apparently based more on the first sequel ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'' aired from 1990 to 1991.
68* AnthropomorphicFood: The premise revolves around sentient tomatoes attacking humans. Although they were depicted in the first movie's poster to have mouths and eyes, that didn't happen until the third movie.
69* ArtEvolution: The second season of the cartoon completely switched from having overseas animation by Creator/{{AKOM}} to being produced entirely domestically. It was also digitally colored, one of the first (if not ''the'' first) series to feature this. As such, it looked noticeably different than the first season.
70* AscendedExtra: The cartoon had a few, but Tomato Guy really stands out. The basis for his character only appeared in one scene of the first movie.
71* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The titular tomatoes don't quite reach 50 feet, but they grow very large for tomatoes, with the first movie mentioning that a roughly soccer-ball sized tomato was [[LargeRunt a (typically tiny) cherry tomato]]. Revolutionary giant killer carrots are also seen. However, in the Season One episode ''Camp Casserole... So Vine'', there was an '''''ACTUAL''''' one. There is also Larry the Monster Mountain Tomatoe from the Nintendo game.
72* AttackOfTheKillerWhatever:
73** Tomatoes, naturally. Carrots are often promised for sequels, but the carrots never had their own moment like the tomatoes did.
74** In another Season One episode, the Franken-stem Monster was a carrot!
75* AvengersAssemble: The sequence is used when assembling the completely non-crack team of tomato fighters.
76* BadGuyBar: Several killer tomatoes are at one point seen hanging out in a bar in ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back''.
77* BarBrawl: Found in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', completely with cowboys. And ninja.
78* BelligerentSexualTension: Lance Boyle and Kennedy Johnson bicker towards one another throughout the third film and eventually hook up at the end.
79* BestialityIsDepraved: When Michael and Marie look for a place to snuggle in secret in ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', they at one point run into a man making out with a sheep.
80* BetterThanABareBulb: Since the franchise doesn't really take itself seriously, it is inevitable that the franchise would occasionally make fun of the cliches and such that occur.
81* BigBad: Professor Gangreen is the main antagonist of the original film's three sequels as well as in the animated series. This could make him the overarching antagonist of the first film, where he was absent.
82* BookEnds[=/=]ChekhovsGag: The Missing Tomato Link's fax number, noted in the first season's episode "The Tomato From the Black Lagoon", and used in the second season episode, "Stemming the Tide".
83** Used and abused in the ''Return''
84-->'''Chad''': Don't you love how everything we set up in the first reel pays off in the second?
85-->'''Matt''': Well, not ''everything.'' (The pizza Matt was spinning in his first scene lands in his face)
86-->'''Chad''': ''Everything.''
87* BrandX: Played straight in ''Return...'', but only as a setup to lampshading and then averting it.
88* BrickJoke:
89** Used in ''Return...'' when Professor Gangreen answers a phone call from [[FramingDevice the show watching the film]] and ends up inadvertently saying the secret word ("the"). The hero and his friend even [[LampshadeHanging point out the plot device]]
90** A major part of Wilbur's character is that he never thinks to repack or take off the parachute he used in his first scene in the first movie, even in the sequel and the cartoon series. As a result, whenever he's on duty as a tomato hunter, he gets continually fouled up by the open parachute he's dragging around behind him.
91* BrownNote: In the first film, [[spoiler:the worst pop song of all time, "Puberty Love" is one for the tomatoes.]] It was so bad, one giant tomato, wore earmuffs to block it out... [[spoiler:that is, until the hero showed the song to it... in sheet music]]! In the second film, the tomatoes are all music-controlled, with Tara being turned back into a helpless, non-killer tomato whenever ''Beethoven's Fifth'' is played, then reverts to a human after ''Tara'' from Gone With the Wind is played. Nobody thinks to use this on the villainous tomato men.
92* TheCameo: Gary Condit has an uncredited cameo in the "bar fight" scene in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', years before he was more famously involved in another sort of fracas.
93** Not exactly a cameo, but "Puberty Love" was sung by Matt Cameron, future drummer for Soundgarden and Music/PearlJam (he is credited as "Foo" Cameron).
94* CanonImmigrant: ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'' features Zoltan and Ketchuck, two of the killer tomato henchmen of Gangreen in the animated series.
95* CelebrityLie: Used by has-been television actor Michael in the fourth film when he lies to Marie that he is Michael J. Fox. Fortunately, she still loves him even after learning the truth.
96* CharacterAsHimself: F.T. is credited as playing himself in the films, but this is averted in the animated series, where the credits explicitly reveal that his voice actor is S. Scott Bullock.
97* CharacterCatchphrase: "I'm not Mad! I'm ANGRY! I'm an Angry Scientist!"
98* ChekhovsGun: Several throwaway moments in the second film's first reel are set up in this way. Hilariously, they are fully aware that they were set up in said first reel. Even the fake film is used in the denouement!
99* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Most of the humor in the fourth film relies on hamming up French stereotypes.
100* CensoredChildDeath: A very young child gets eaten in the first film (off-screen). His grandparents doen't seem very concerned.
101-->'''Grandfather''' (to Mason Dixon): Say, would you like to buy a used crib?
102* ClosestThingWeGot: Lois Fairchild is a society columnist sent to cover the Tomato War because every other reporter in that news agency was away covering something else.
103* CoincidentalBroadcast:
104** There appears to be one in the first movie, but the radio spends so much time talking about the broadcasting station and their sponsors that they never get around to actually making the emergency broadcast before Dixon and Finletter turn the radio off.
105** Spoofed in the second film when Chad watches a cheesy horror flick where the mad scientist in the film repeatedly stresses that he will turn his creation human and quips "About time" when Chad finally gets the hint that Gangreen is making tomatoes human.
106* CoolBigSis: Tara becomes this in the cartoon, to the younger version of Chad (who was her love interest in ''Return'').
107* CreditsGag: Dozens and dozens.
108** THIS SPACE FOR RENT.
109* DaEditor: Lois' boss.
110* DarkerAndEdgier: The second season of the animated series turned the Tomatoes into ugly giant creatures and had Gangrene take over the world.
111** It should be noted that this helped get the series canceled as the new toys were rather frightening to small children.
112* DealWithTheDevil: In the Season One episode ''Camp Casserole... So Vine'', Gangreen offers Tara a deal. If she helps him in controlling Larry, his mountain sized tomato, he'll make her human ''permanently''. When Igor asks him if he'll keep his end of the deal, Gangreen admits [[IGaveMyWord he fully intends to]]. However Tara soon betrays him to keep her friends safe, much to his [[EvilCannotComprehendGood genuine shock]].
113* DeathTrap: In the second film, it, what else, turns people into tomatoes.
114* DemotedToExtra: The main villain of the first movie only gets two scenes in the second. Naturally, [[LampshadeHanging he bemoans this lack of screentime and dialogue during the second scene]] only to get beat down for it.
115* DisneyDeath: F.T. and Tara survive their apparent deaths at the end of ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes''. The former survived an [[NonFatalExplosions explosion]] after literally JumpingOnAGrenade, while the latter survives the gas chamber when Chad's friend Matt finds a button that allows the gas to be harmlessly removed.
116** Also, Herbert Farbage in the theme songs of the first two movies:
117-->''Remember Herbert Farbage...\
118While taking out his garbage...\
119He turned around and he did see\
120Tomatoes hiding in his tree\
121Now he’s just a memory!''\
122(one movie later...)\
123''Remember Herbert Farbage\
124Who was taking out that garbage?\
125It seems he wasn’t killed at all\
126He fought tomatoes to a stall\
127His TV show premieres this fall!''
128* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: In ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'' Tara wants to have sex with Chad when she meets him in the restaurant, while he's clearly protesting. Good luck changing the gender roles.
129* DoYouWantToCopulate: Tara in the second film does not beat around the bush when she expresses her attraction towards Chad Finletter.
130* TheEighties: ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'' has this in spades with mullets and EightiesHair, garish clothes and synth music. Not to mention all of the pop culture references and product placement jokes. Matt himself invokes this when he suggests the director sell out to help finish the movie.
131* EnemyMine: After he succeeds in taking over the world in the animated series' second season premiere, Dr. Gangreen 's tomatoes turn on the angry scientist and he is forced to join forces with the Killer Tomato Task Force to try and defeat them.
132* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In "Return", Dr. Gangreen seems to hate everyone except his pet snake, Larry. He gets very upset when Tara accidentally bumps Larry while vacuuming.
133* EvenEvilHasStandards: One episode of the animated series sees {{Dracula}} himself provide Doctor Gangrene with a vampire formula. Almost the entire town becomes vampires as a result, but Dracula ultimately provides the cure. Why? Because he feels the townspeople don't have the class to be vampires.
134* EveryoneHatesMimes: During a dating montage between Tara and Chad in the second film, a very annoying mime keeps popping up ruining the moment. Eventually while Tara is busy testing out domme equipment at an adult store, Chad thankfully beats up the mime, and there was much rejoicing.
135* EvilIsHammy: Dr. Gangrene... 100%!
136* EvilLaughTurnedCoughingFit: Dr. Gangrene suffers a moment of this as he is introduced at the start of ''Return.''
137* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Every movie and the animated series are all about tomatoes that attack people.
138* ExpositoryThemeTune: Loosely so in the case of the first film, the second is clearly an example of this trope, explaining that, yes, you are watching a sequel. And if the film does well, there will be further sequels.
139* {{Expy}}: Viper from ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'' is based off Fang from the animated series, mainly in that both are snake-like tomatoes.
140* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: Lampshaded in the animated series episode "Invasion of the Tomato Snatchers".
141-->'''Gangrene:''' Blast! If this were primetime, I could use real bullets.
142* TheFilmOfTheBook: "Based on the novel ''[[Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath The Tomatoes of Wrath]]''"
143* FlashbackWithTheOtherDarrin: Jarringly averted in the second film. The flashbacks use recycled footage from the first film featuring the old actors.
144* FollowTheBouncingBall: The Opening to the Second Season cartoon.
145* FramingDevice: Used in the second film, of a late night movie night.
146** [[spoiler: At the end of the film, Gangreen apparently has them assassinated during the credits roll for distracting him with their phone-in challenge...]]
147* FromMyOwnPersonalGarden: [[spoiler: Richardson delivers this line in the first film after tossing a tomato to Mason Dixon, who he has captured.]]
148* FromNobodyToNightmare: In the first season, Zoltan and the gang of five were Gangreen's comic relief sidekicks who were incompetent and mostly delivered pop culture references due to Igor accidentally used tapes of Gangreen's Midnight Movies to program them. In the second season Gangreen mutated the six and sure enough not only did Zoltan, Fang, Mummato, Beefsteak, Ketchuck, and Tomacho become bigger threats but they actually got Gangreen to succeed in taking over the world, until they overthrew him.
149* FunWithAcronyms: Differently played than usual, but fun nevertheless - I just say Operation P.P.P.P.P. (and I say it without spitting).
150* {{Giant Mook}}s: There are several gigantic tomatoes alongside the smaller ones.
151* GodzillaThreshold: The first film has the President of the United States decide to quell the tomato menace by nuking New York City in spite of his aide's protest that the killer tomatoes aren't anywhere near NYC.
152-->'''The President:''' "You worry about your problems and I'll worry about mine!"
153* GroinAttack:
154** Near the end of the second film, Tara kicks Igor in the crotch.
155** While spying on Kennedy Johnson at the zoo in the third film, Lance Boyle at one point gets bitten down there by a dog.
156* HellishCopter: Unexpectedly, [[ThrowItIn a real helicopter crash]]. [[note]] The pilot escaped the crash unharmed, unlike a [[Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie certain other movie...]][[/note]]
157* HiddenDepths: Chad in the animated series is unusually smart, as in the episode "War of the Weirds" he understood a chemical formula Gangrene used in college. Keep in mind that in the cartoon [[ChildProdigy he's ten]]!
158* HyperCompetentSidekick: Again Chad in the animated series as Tomato Task Force, led by his uncle Wilber, are generally incompetent.
159* IdiotHero: Downplayed with Wilbur Finletter in that he's never actually been the main protagonist in any of the films or the series. Otherwise, he fits the trope well: he's a bumbling FearlessFool constantly getting tangled up in his own parachute but he (usually) helps to save the day and is still revered as a war hero after the events of the first movie. The image of him charging after the tomatoes with his saber drawn and his parachute trailing behind him is one of the most iconic of the franchise and sums his character up pretty well.
160* TheIgor: Subverted with the handsome, blond, ever-smiling Igor Smith in the films from ''Return'' onwards and the animated series. Dr. Gangrene is suitably horrified he can't get proper mad-science help.
161** Especially one from Malibu U.
162* ImAHumanitarian: Sam Smith learns to enjoy his meal with the tomatoes in the first film, to the point that he's running a bar for them in the third.
163* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The villain of the first movie decides to assassinate Mason Dixon, so he gets a gun, carefully aims it, and fires an InstantDeathBullet that hits... some random person that Dixon just walked past. This repeats until the villain runs out of ammo, without Dixon ever noticing that he was under attack.
164* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Doctor Gangrene is one in the cartoon series' first season. He then conquers the world and effectively Lampshades that they were stupid to keep letting him go.
165* InsistentTerminology: Dr. Gangrene is an angry scientist, not a mad one.
166* IntrepidReporter: Lois Fairchild, she'll do anything to the truth of the tomato matter!
167** Igor ''really'' wants to be one.
168* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Tomato Guy in the animated series. While not above scaring people by shouting "Tomato!", he only does it because he thinks it is funny and even helps Chad save the day in "Invasion of the Tomato Snatchers".
169* JokerImmunity: Doctor Gangrene has this, mostly because no-one takes him seriously.
170* KarmicDeath: ''Do not'' call Doctor Gangrene in the middle of his victory celebrations. He will dispose of you.
171** Subverted in the third film. Professor Gangreen appears to get eaten by the killer tomatoes, but he appears alive and well during the credits, none the worse for wear aside from a bandage on his nose and promising to return once more.
172* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:The Press Secretary]] is cut down by Finletter while he's about to tell Dixon how he's controlling the tomatoes as part of his monologue. Fortunately Dixon figures it out by himself.
173* LastMinuteHookup: Complete with really bad love song at the end of the first film.
174* LawyerFriendlyCameo:
175** Lois has a friend named Clark. He wears glasses. He has a cape sticking out of the bottom of his jacket. [[Franchise/{{Superman}} He can fly.]] Lois doesn't seem to notice. The funny thing is, he's actually referred to as "Superman" in the film's credits.
176** The animated series episode "Tomato from the Black Lagoon" has [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk a background character who gets angry and becomes green and muscular as his rage worsens]].
177* LegendaryInTheSequel: Wilbur Finletter is a famous hero of the Tomato Wars in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes''.
178* LighterAndSofter: The animated series notably lacked the tomatoes actually killing people.
179* LovableSexManiac:
180** Matt's personality in the second film, combined with a bit of LovableCoward. He's constantly hitting on women or hatching schemes to get laid. At the end of the film [[spoiler: he uses Dr. Gangreen's machine to turn a bunch of tomatoes into sexy women...but we don't get to see what happens next.]] Despite all this, he's still Chad's best friend.
181** In the same film, Tara is also extremely forward about sex, to the point where it makes Chad uncomfortable at times, but she's still one of the good guys and they wind up together at the end.
182* MadScientist: Don't call Dr. Gangrene mad. He isn't mad! A little angry sometimes...
183* MadScientistLaboratory: It's where Gangreen creates his tomato monsters.
184* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Tara mostly fits, given she was made as a sex-slave in ''Return...'', but in the cartoon, she's an escaped experiment.
185* MasterOfDisguise: Parodied with Sam Smith. He has this reputation but no one ever seems to be actually fooled by him except Wilbur. It doesn't help that he tends to dress up as well-known political or historical figures that he doesn't resemble at all, like Adolf Hitler or Muammar Gadafi.
186* MeaningfulName: Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene. You just can't get a normal job with a name like that.
187** However in the movies as proven in "Killer Tomatoes Eat France" his name is Professor Mortimer Gangrene.
188* MediumAwareness: Especially prominent in the second film and the animated series, where the characters openly point out that they are in a work of fiction for the sake of RuleOfFunny.
189* MisanthropeSupreme: Gangreen makes it clear in the climax of the third film that he doesn't like other people.
190* MisfitMobilizationMoment: At the climax, Wilbur gathers a mob, [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits made up of the only people too crazy to evacuate when the tomatoes attacked,]] to fight the tomatoes. The credits actually list them as "Every screwball in San Diego County."
191* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Tara runs away from Gangrene's lab and moves in with Chad after the doctor insulted her over bumping his beloved pet snake Larry with the vacuum cleaner.
192* MundaneMadeAwesome: Tomatoes. For a specific example, this quote, regarding an unusually large specimen.
193-->''"This, God help us, is a cherry tomato."''
194* MythologyGag: In "Give a Little Whistle", the first episode of the animated series, Dr. Gangreen mentions he can cause a tomato frenzy with six milk bottles and a tuning fork. In the movie ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', those same items were said to be involved in one of the sexual positions Tara knew.
195* NearMisses: PlayedForLaughs. TheMole is trying to kill Mason Dixon as he slowly strolls down the sidewalk and ends up shooting everyone on the street except the guy he was aiming at.
196* NoFourthWall:
197** ''Return'' had a completely pointless seeming FramingDevice. That was until the final reel, where it literally broke the fourth wall by calling Dr. Gangrene during the movie, causing a key distraction. And that pizza '''really''' took a long time to fall.
198** The cartoon broke the fourth wall at ''least'' OncePerEpisode.
199** Let's face it. The fourth wall doesn't even exist in this franchise. You might as well stick your hand in the TV-screen and shake hands with the cast.
200** In ''Eat France'' Michael/Marc gets fed up with the reveal that his character dies halfway through the movie and simply ''walks off the set''. The director is even holding a sign that says "Plot hole this way ->"
201* NoodleImplements: Don't ask what Tara can do with "a lawn-chair, six milk bottles and a tuning fork." Or do.
202* ObjectCeilingCling: There is a pizza stuck to the ceiling... which later becomes BookEnds.
203* OneSteveLimit: Averted in ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', where Marie is the name of the hero's love interest, her sister, and a waitress.
204* OneWingedAngel: Dr. Gangrene induces this in his QuirkyMinibossSquad of tomatoes at the start of the second season, causing them to undergo DivergentCharacterEvolution at the same time.
205* PaperThinDisguise: Sam Smith infiltrates the tomatoes with a pretty bad disguise in the first film. It works, however - until he asks for some ketchup.
206* ParodyNames: Every First Season episode. ''Spatula, Prinze of Dorkness'', ''War of the Weirds'', ''Invasion of the Tomato Snatchers''...
207* ParodyProductPlacement: The practice is satirized brutally in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes''.
208* PlantAliens: The animated series episode "Tomato Invasion from Mars" featured some tomatoes planted on Mars that waged war upon the Earth.
209* PlantMooks: The Tomato Transformation device from the second movie turns tomatoes into people.
210* ThePowerOfRock: Spoofed in the first film, where the tomatoes are defeated by making them listen to the pop song "Puberty Love".
211* PowerPerversionPotential: In "Return of the Killer Tomatoes", once Matt discovers the Tomato Transformation device is capable of transforming tomatoes into people, [[spoiler:the movie ends with him using the device to transform a bunch of tomatoes into "the big breasted tomatoes go to the beach and take their tops off".]]
212* ProducePelting: Well, of course. (To be specific, tomatoes are tossed at the camera during the opening credits.)
213* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Justified because they are gathered by a man who wants them to fail so that the tomatoes can run wild longer. They are more misfit-ish than normal, even considering this.
214** Wilbur Finletter: Parachute expert. (Yes, parachute expert. He actually becomes the EnsembleDarkhorse of the original movie's cast.)
215** Sam Smith: MasterOfDisguise
216** Gretta Attenbaum: Exercise expert
217** Greg Colburn: Underwater expert
218** Not to mention the mob that Wilbur gathers at the end of the first movie to fight the tomatoes. The credits list them as "Every screwball in San Diego County."
219* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The helicopter crash early in the film was NOT scripted, but happened to occur in front of the cameras, so it was written in. The director noted in an interview that they couldn't have afforded so fancy a "special effect" had they wanted it, but since they didn't, insurance covered it.
220* RecursiveCanon: In ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', Professor Gangreen at one point uses small toys and figurines to illustrate his battle plan to Zoltan, Ketchuck, and Viper. One of the items he uses is his figure in the animated series' toyline.
221* RevengeOfTheSequel: The second film is called ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'' and the third one is called ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back''.
222* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: A RunningGag from the second film onwards. Various actors get fed up with the film and walk off set.
223* SelfDeprecation:
224** The second movie makes several jabs at itself, most notably having an angry caller complaining about the use of recycled footage from the first movie and the television host watching the film remarking during the credits about how bad it is.
225** The animated series uses footage from the first film at one point as CoolAndUnusualPunishment. This happens in the far-flung future in Season one episode, "Terminator Tomato From Tomorrow"... torturing Wilbur and the Killer Tomato Task Force.
226* SequelGoesForeign: ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'' is set in...well, you can probably figure it out.
227* SequelHook: Every film in the series does this.
228** The first film ends with carrots sprouting from the ground and deciding that it is safe to start their attack now that the tomatoes have been defeated.
229** The second film states in the opening song that a third film would be in the cards if the second film is successful enough and also states in the credits to look out for ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'', even though the third film was entitled ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back'' with ''Eat France'' becoming the fourth film in the series.
230** Professor Gangreen turns up during the credits of the third film after apparently being killed by his tomatoes and promises to return yet again.
231** The fourth and final film ends with Professor Gangreen escaping and again promising to return.
232* SexyDiscretionShot: During the credits of ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back'', a "deleted scene" of Lance Boyle and Kennedy Johnson preparing to get intimate is shown, but they cut away before the scene gets too risque.
233* ShaggyDogStory: Many of the sideplots in the original movie, such as the PR firm and the Congressional Subcommittee, accomplish nothing in regards to teh plot and are dropped once they run out of jokes.
234* ShoutOut: Both the films and the animated series have had a few. The best examples are:
235** As the country collapses before the red horde, the President shouts orders for a general to “bomb New York City!” When informed that the rampaging tomatoes are nowhere near New York, he snaps “You take care of your problems and I’ll take care of mine!” He must have been watching Film/FailSafe.
236** When a reported named Lois attempts to interview the head of the Tomato Task Force, her friend [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Clark]] says hi as walks by. And it's as [[ClarkKenting subtle as ever]].
237** In the animated series, an {{Expy}} of the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]] appears in a brief gag, and the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Ninja Turtles]] are indirectly mentioned in another.
238* ShowDontTell: Inverted [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] (and due to the [[NoBudget minimal budget]]), as Martha and her husband are shown watching a tomato devour little Timmy from down the street, commenting on the proceedings with "such a shame" levels of worry.
239* ShowerScene:
240** There is a scene in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'' where Tara takes a shower.
241** In an homage to ''Film/{{Psycho}}'', Kennedy Johnson at one point gets attacked by a tomato while taking a shower in ''Killer Tomatoes Strike Back''.
242* SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror: A blatant spoof of campy old-school horror films.
243* SparedByTheAdaptation: Greta Attenbaum was killed off in the original movie, but Mary Jo Nagamininashy, her equivalent in the animated series, remains alive and well.
244* StayInTheKitchen: Matt's idea of the perfect woman.
245--> '''Matt''': Listen, Chad. She's sexy. She's smart. She cooks. She cleans - I think you've found the perfect woman.
246* SuckinessIsPainful: "Puberty Love" is so bad that it causes the tomatoes to become harmless and vulnerable.
247* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: "They are gardeners and carpenters. They are ''not'' tomato men."
248* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat: In the second film: “THIS TOMATO CAN SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE. I don’t trust tomatoes! I KNOW YOU DONT TRUST TOMATOES, BUT TRUST THIS ONE.”
249* TeamRocketWins: In the cartoons, Gangrene and his Tomatoes actually manage to conquer the world for a few episodes. They are so surprised that they have no idea what to do with it, leading to their downfall.
250* TemptingFate: The heroes in the Animated Series comment that they'll have to defeat Gangrene because he never succeeds in the opener to the Second Season. He then beats them and the entire season is about his domination of the world.
251** The second season premiere also lampshades Gangrene's success at the end of the episode: "This is not a two-parter, this is a one-parter."
252* TitleThemeTune: The first two films and the animated series have the theme song's lyrics repeatedly mention the work's title.
253* TomatoSurprise: Adequate to the trope name, Tara is actually a tomato made human. And there's even a TomatoInTheMirror moment when she finds out.
254* TooDumbToLive: The MasterOfDisguise infiltrates the killer tomatoes' camp, and everything seems to be going well, then over dinner he asks them to pass the ketchup.
255* TrademarkFavoriteFood: As a tomato, Tara's favorite food in the second movie happens to be toast. She's obsessed with it to the point of buying a bunch of toasters.
256-->'''Tara''': Then I will cook toast, eggs, bacon, toast, waffles, and toast.
257* {{Troll}}:
258** The guy in the first film who causes a stampeding panic by just saying the word "tomato" in public.
259** "Return" also features a news reporter who can't stop insulting the woman he's interviewing and then acts like he has no idea what's going on.
260* {{Troperiffic}}: All Tropes Must Be Mocked!
261* UnexplainedRecovery: No explanation is given as to how Sam Smith survived accidentally blowing his cover in the first movie, but he still shows up in the sequels.
262* VillainExitStageLeft: ''Killer Tomatoes Eat France'' ends with Professor Gangreen making his getaway in a hot air balloon.
263* VillainRespect: In the animated series Doctor Gangreen has this for Chad in his own way. By the near end of the first season he [[PriceOnTheirHead puts a price on his head]] to prevent him from ruining his plans. The first episode even has Gangreen acknowledge Chad's intelligence.
264-->'''Gangreen:''' You're not [[DamnedByFaintPraise so]] dumb!
265* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
266** In "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" it's never revealed whatever happened to Mason Dixon, the hero of the first film, however he does appear in Wilbur's flashback of the first film.
267** Also from the first movie, underwater expert Greg Colburn is last seen swimming in a public fountain. He's never seen again for the rest of the movie.
268* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: In the animated series, the tomatoes are clearly sentient and aware, but are killed by the hundreds. Except Tara and FT. Tara turns into a cute human and FT is already cute, so killing them [[ButThatWouldBeWrong would be]]... just ''[[ButThatWouldBeWrong wrong]]''.
269* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Chad believes the only good tomato is a squashed tomato, until Tara comes into his life.
270** In the Season One episode, ''The Tomato From the Black Lagoon'', the titular tomato named Link, lampshades this:
271-->'''Link:''' Not all tomatoes are vicious veggies bent on plundering and pillaging, you know!
272* WombLevel: In one of the video games.
273* YoungerAndHipper: Wilbur Finletter's nephew Chad was a young adult in ''Return of the Killer Tomatoes'', but he is a pre-teen boy in the animated series.
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