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 / Meteor Man
Marla Gibbs	...	Maxine 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 - 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 30 seconds. Now his friends and family want him to protect their community from the dreaded Golden Lords.

---

Plot Keywords:

black superhero | non comic book superhero | character name as title | teensploitation | psychotronic film | 

---

Taglines:

Get meteorized.

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie Griffith and Anthony 'Treach' Criss appeared together a year later in Jason's Lyric (1994).

---

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.

---

Quotes

Byers the Mobster: What? WHAAAAAT?

---

Alternate Versions

UK version was edited (14 sec.) to secure a 'PG' rating:

• [74 mins] Remove backward kick to man's stomach (3.02 sec.)
• [77 mins] Remove sight of man's arm being broken over bonnet of car (2.48 sec.)

---

Connections

Spoofs Superman II (1980)

---

Soundtracks

Something New
Written by R.K. Jackson (as Rodney K. Jackson) and Danny Moore
Performed by Malaika
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Meteor Man

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,643,091, 8 August 1993

Gross USA:

$8,016,708

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,016,708

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