Meteor Man (1993)
"The Meteor Man" (original title)

A high school teacher from a troubled inner city Washington D.C. neighborhood becomes a super-powered hero and takes on the gang that has been terrorizing his streets.

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writer:

Robert Townsend

Stars:

Robert Townsend, Marla Gibbs, Eddie Griffin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Townsend	...	Jefferson Reed
Marla Gibbs	...	Mrs. Reed, Jeff's Mother
Eddie Griffin	...	Michael
Robert Guillaume	...	Ted Reed, Jeff's Father
James Earl Jones	...	Earnest Moses
Roy Fegan	...	Simon, Golden Lord Chief
Cynthia Belgrave	...	Mrs. Harris
Marilyn Coleman	...	Mrs. Walker, Reed's Landlady
Don Cheadle	...	Goldilocks
Bobby McGee	...	Uzi, Golden Lord Gunman
Bill Cosby	...	Marvin
Big Daddy Kane	...	Pirate
Frank Gorshin	...	Byers the Mobster
Sinbad	...	Malik, Stacy's Boyfriend
Nancy Wilson	...	Mrs. Laws the Principal

Storyline

One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the information in any book ... for about fifteen minutes. Now his friends and family want him to protect their community from the dreaded Golden Lords.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | police shootout | written and directed by cast member | gang violence | english subtitles in original | 

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Taglines:

He's coming to save the world, one neighborhood at a time.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG on appeal for children caught up in perils of an urban environment

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Meteor Man

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,023,147 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Tinsel Townsend

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many scenes appeared in the script and possibly could have been filmed but did not appear in the final film. These scenes include Simon asking Meteor Man to join him while they are both trying to get to the meteor, with Meteor Man saying never. A scene where Jeff,losing his powers, attempts to save a cat but can't fly. When he finally gets off the ground he catches the cat but falls. This is witnessed by Squirrel and Dre who are about to tell this information to the Golden Lords but is then stopped by Jeff. Also a scene where Jeff gets over his fear of heights and a sub plot involving Jeff's relationship with his ex Stacy is missing

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Goofs

While Jeff is fighting Simon, the character Goldilocks (Don Cheadle) can be seen goofing around, as if he's coming out of his character.

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Quotes

Byers the Mobster: What? WHAAAAAT?

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Connections

References Soul Train (1971)

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Soundtracks

AIN'T NOBODY BAD LIKE METEOR MAN
(Meteor Man Theme)
Written by Aisha Baker, Tommy Gun, Pete Scott and Al Richardson
Produced by Pete Scott and Al Richardson
Performed by Big Hat Ray Ray

User Reviews

Ambitious and refreshing

Following an encounter with a mysterious meteorite, a Washington D.C. school teacher (Robert Townsend) discovers that he has developed super powers and subsequently uses them to become a caped crusader against the forces of evil in his own inner-city community. Although the ambitious, imaginative script is loaded with misfired comedic gags, it does produce several genuinely amusing sequences--in particular, the climactic showdown between Meteor Man and his golden-haired drug lord nemesis. Biggest plus: the extremely talented (but frustratingly underused) supporting cast that reads like a Who's Who list of black television and movie greats. It includes: Bill Cosby ("The Cosby Show" and "Ghost Dad"), James Earl Jones ("The Great White Hope" and "Roots: The Next Generation"), Marla Gibbs ("The Jeffersons" and "227"), and Robert Guillaume ("Benson" and "Lean On Me").

Also, it's just plain refreshing to see a 1990's larger-than-life black superhero/role model in a family-oriented film.