The Meteor Man (1993)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writer (WGA):

Robert Townsend (written by)

Release Date:

6 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Comedy

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Spoof | Acrophobia | Superhero | Healing | Telekinesis

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | Iceland:L (video rating) | Germany:12 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13 (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating after appeal) | Canada:PG | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The original ending had a more confident Jeff standing up for himself and his community and using his role as a teacher to better everyone's life. He then gets approached by Michael who tells him that an even bigger piece of the meteor that hit him was found in Arizona. The two then agree to buy plane tickets so that Jeff can get his powers back and once again become Meteor Man. This is followed by Michael trying to talk him into letting him get some power from the meteor so he can be his sidekick. It then ends with Michael throwing out names to him, such as Comet Boy, Chocolate Thunder, and the Flying Wonder.

Movie Connections:

References Superman (1978)

Soundtrack:

SOMETHING NEW

Nice Characters, Nice Message

This is an almost all-black cast featuring many prominent black actors and singers. The most famous one, Bill Cosby, has several scenes but no lines of dialog! What makes the film appealing is its innocence and charm. There is hardly any profanity, there is a good-hearted likable hero ("Jefferson Reed" ) Robert Townsend) and a nice story of good folks trying to get rid of destructive violent neighborhood gangs.

It's hokey; it's corny, it's sometimes stupid but there are some genuinely unique and funny scenes in this film as when "Meteor Man" talks to his dog or when he does some amazing feats to save his friends.

A fun, lightweight film that - yes, the whole family can enjoy. It's a sad comment that it got so few reviews. Apparently, most people here would rather watch evil, nasty characters. I think it's refreshing to see some nice people and good role- models exhibited for a change.