The Meteor Man (film)

For other uses, see Meteor Man (disambiguation).

The Meteor Man
Theatrical one-sheet for The Meteor Man
Directed by	Robert Townsend
Produced by	Robert Townsend Loretha C. Jones
Written by	Robert Townsend
Starring	Robert Townsend Marla Gibbs Eddie Griffin Robert Guillaume James Earl Jones Roy Fegan Don Cheadle Bill Cosby Big Daddy Kane Frank Gorshin Sinbad Luther Vandross Tommy 'Tiny' Lister John Witherspoon
Music by	Cliff Eidelman
Cinematography	John A. Alonzo
Editing by	Adam Bernardi Richard Candib Robaire W. Estel Andrew London Pam Wise
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	August 6, 1993 (USA)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$30,000,000 (estimated)
Box office	$8,023,147 (USA)

The Meteor Man is a 1993 American superhero comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Robert Townsend and featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Marla Gibbs, Eddie Griffin, Robert Guillaume, James Earl Jones, Roy Fegan, Don Cheadle, Bill Cosby, Big Daddy Kane, Frank Gorshin, Sinbad, Luther Vandross, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, and John Witherspoon. Townsend stars as a mild-mannered schoolteacher, who becomes a superhero after his neighborhood in Washington, D.C. is terrorized by street gangs. Although the film is set in Washington, it was mostly filmed in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. Robert Townsend named the film's protagonist Jefferson Reed, after one of his childhood heroes, his favorite teacher.

Plot

Jefferson Reed (Robert Townsend) is a mild mannered school teacher in Washington D.C. His neighborhood is terrorized by a local gang called The Golden Lords. One night, Jeff steps in to rescue a woman from the gang only to end up running from them himself. Hiding in a garbage dumpster, he manages to escape. As he climbs out, he is struck down by a glowing green meteorite. His spine is crushed and he receives severe burns. A small fragment of the meteor was left over and taken by a mute vagrant named Marvin (Bill Cosby). Reed awakens several days later in the hospital, but when his bandages are taken off, he is miraculously healed of all injuries.

Jeff soon discovers the meteorite has left him with abilities such as flight, x-ray vision, superhuman strength and speed, invulnerability, healing powers, absorb a book's content by touch, freezing breath, telepathy with dogs, and telekinesis. Confiding this to his parents Ted (Robert Guillaume) and Maxine (Marla Gibbs), they convince him to use his powers to help the community. His mother designs a costume and as The Meteor Man, he takes on the Golden Lords and their leader Simon Caine (Roy Fegan). He shuts down 15 crack houses, stops 11 robberies, brings peace between the police, the Crips (Cypress Hill), and the Bloods (Naughty by Nature) where they begin to work together to rebuild the community they destroyed, and plants a giant garden in the middle of the ghetto.

The Golden Lords learn Meteor Man's secret identity and his slowly diminishing powers. As the violence gets out of hand and The Golden Lords continue their attacks, the community members plan to make a deal with them, but Jeff instead teaches them about fighting for their beliefs. A now powerless Jeff fights Simon and is beaten up. Simon points his gun at Jeff, but Jeff's neighbor Earnest Moses (James Earl Jones) throws a record at him, successfully knocking the gun out of Simon's hand. Suddenly, the neighborhood fights back and Marvin uses the meteor fragment to strip the Golden Lords of their guns. This enabled the locals to stand up to the Golden Lords as they fight them alongside Marvin's dogs. Marvin accidentally drops the meteor and both Jeff and Simon grab a piece of the rock, gaining superpowers and engage in a brawl, with Meteor Man winning and draining Simon of his superpowers.

Later, drug lord Mr. Byers (Frank Gorshin) confronts Meteor Man, but is outnumbered by the Bloods and the Crips (who show up to protect Meteor Man). Byers is then arrested by the police after attempting to "take a vacation to the Bahamas".

Cast

• Robert Townsend as Jefferson Reed/Meteor Man, the main protagonist of the film.
• Marla Gibbs as Maxine Reed, the mother of Jefferson Reed.
• Eddie Griffin as Michael Anderson
• Robert Guillaume as Ted Reed, the father of Jefferson Reed.
• James Earl Jones as Earnest Moses, Jefferson's neighbor.
• Marilyn Coleman as Mrs. Walker, Jefferson Reed's landlady.
• Roy Feganas Simon Caine, the leader of the Golden Lords and one of the main antagonists of the film.
• Don Cheadle as Goldilocks
• Bobby McGee as Uzi, a gun man for the Golden Lords.
• Bill Cosby as Marvin, a mute vagrant.
• Big Daddy Kane as Pirate
• Frank Gorshin as Anthony Byers, a drug lord who is one of the main antagonists of the film.
• Sinbad as Malik, Stacy's boyfriend.
• Nancy Wilson as Principal Laws
• Luther Vandross as Jamison
• Another Bad Creation as Jr. Lords, the children members of the Golden Lords.
• Tommy 'Tiny' Lister as Digit
• Jenifer Lewis as Mrs. Williams, Lewis' mother.
• Naughty by Nature as Bloods, a gang that is the rival of the Crips until Meteor Man ends their feud.
• Cypress Hill as Crips, a gang that is the rival of the Crips until Meteor Man ends their feud
• Beverly Johnson as Woman Doctor
• LaWanda Page as Old Nurse
• Lela Rochon as Vanessa, a pretty nurse that tended to Jefferson when he was in the hospital.
• Stephanie Williams as Stacy
• Wallace Shawn as Mr. Little
• John Witherspoon as Clarence James Carter III
• Faizon Love as Maurice
• Biz Markie as Himself
• Chris Tucker as MC in Mall (uncredited)

Soundtrack

1. "Can't Let Her Get Away" - Michael Jackson
2. "It's for You" - Shanice
3. "Don't Waste My Time" - Lisa Taylor
4. "You Turn Me On" - Hi-Five
5. "Who Can"
6. "Your Future Is Our Future" - Daryl Coley & Frank McComb
7. "I Say a Prayer" - Howard Hewett
8. "Is It Just Too Much" - Keith Washington
9. "Somebody Cares for You" - Frank McComb
10. "Good Love" - Elaine Stepter
11. "Ain't Nobody Bad (Like Meteor Man)" - Big Hat Ray Ray

Comic

Marvel Comics produced a 6-issue limited series spin-off titled Meteor Man.

Reception

The Meteor Man received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 29% based on 14 reviews.

Peter Rainer of The Los Angeles Times compares the film "a fairly clunky sitcom" with its sense of righteous do-goodism, and although the film intends to inspire, it instead sends the message that it would take a superhero to clean up inner-city gang violence. Roger Ebert writes, "The movie contains big laughs and moments of genuine feeling, but it seems to be put together out of assorted inspirations that were never assembled into one coherent story line."

External links

• The Meteor Man at the Internet Movie Database
• The Meteor Man at AllRovi
• The Meteor Man at Superheroes Lives