The Meteor Man (1993)

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 | spoof | gang violence | written and directed by cast member | telekinesis | 

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Taglines:

Take a stand.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Comedy

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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

Re-rated "PG" on appeal after originally drawing a "PG-13" rating from the MPAA.

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Goofs

When Jeff is fighting Simon the character Goldilocks 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

Referenced in Flick (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Somebody Cares For You"
Written by Frank McComb, Gerald Levert (as Gerald LaVert), Terry Stubbs, Edward Banks,
and Melvin Sephus
Produced by Terry Stubbs
Performed by Frank McComb

User Reviews

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.