Meteor Man

Well, I'd be lying if I said that this could easily rival Spiderman or the Batman movies. Still, it was more appealing to me for it's moral value. I first bought the VHS when my son was about 2 years old and it immediately became his favorite. My wife and I are avid supporters of Robert Townsend and have been since he used credit cards to finance his first movie, "Hollywood Shuffle". True, he needs to take advantage of the talents and knowledge of technical advisors to make the films more believable, but his movies are still fun.

Meteor Man provides a hero with an Urban Contemporary feel. I always felt that, if there were superheroes, they wouldn't provide the same scenarios as depicted in the comics. Meteor Man is realistic hero with real problems: Car broken into, bad neighborhood, local drug-dealing gangs using children for distribution, etc. The scope of his mission stayed pretty much within the community.

What I found to be truly entertaining, outside of James Earl Jones' "young forever" performance, was how the neighborhood responded to his newly discovered powers. It wasn't long before they had a full agenda lined up for him, without his input, of course. It was hilarious to hear them offer to lend him out to other communities where their extended families lived.

Yes, the plot was weak, the movie was predictable, there was bad acting and continuity was rotten, but it ranks #1 with my kids. Robert Townsend works to bring movies "home" so to speak. I doubt he'll ever truly be recognized as the talented actor/producer/director he truly is, but there are and will always be, those that love him for his efforts.

One point to ponder about the film, which I find amusing: Throughout the entire battle with Simon, no one bothered to call the police???? Also, what mother and father do you know that will watch their son fight from a window? My mother would have been right there, scrapping by my side, toe-to-toe. Dad would be loading his pistol. lol

Rent it and check it out. It's worth seeing at least once and good for those of you that are fans of Sinbad, Luther Vandross, Bill Cosby, Big Daddy Kane, etc. Great job with the cameos Robert!

Meteor Man is a black Superman. But this super man story says more than the story of Superman. There are no aliens in this movie. There are no spaceships. This film is about people, and an ordinary man put under extraordinary circumstances. It's about everyday problems that are ignored in inner cities. It touches on the problem of gangs, violence, and drugs. But these are all battled through self-belief, family, friendship, and community.

Though this movie is not necessarily a Steven Spielberg film it does have attractive qualities to it, especially in its sense of humor. It is a very funny movie, and the story though fairly simple is well written, and entertaining. The film Meteor Man answers the question of, "What would Superman be like if he were black?"

Well worth a watch for lighthearted fun, and drama from an era that some have forgotten. This is the best black super-hero movie of the 1990s.

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.

Meteorman is a fun and entertaining comedy with some big laughs but it doesn't fully live up to the potential of its own great concept of a school teacher becoming an unlikely superhero.

What stops it from being truly great is the large plot holes , mainly those concerning meteor mans powers, and the lack of detail in the story.Another negative factor is the films insistence on overbearingly sentimental and at times very corny .Also the ending isn't really satisfying and leaves a lot of question left unanswered .

Still, its has it heart in the right place and has some first rate laugh out loud moments like the way meteor man fly's low because of his fear of heights and the montage showcasing all of his rejected costumes .Plus its good to see a black superhero on screen .

Meteor man is an enjoyable comedy but if the script has a bit more detail , then it could gave been something more.

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.