The Meteor Man

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.

Like so many underated films, I stumbled across this one on television and was most surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The concept of a black superhero is obviously intriguing but what made this one stand out for me was it's strong heart of community justice and pride.

Unlike so many SuperHero films, the theme here was for the community to stop relying on someone else to solve their problems and to stop turning a blind (and scared) eye to the violence and crime that surrounded them until it knocked on their own door.

What was also so refreshing was that the film managed to convey this is a light comedy format, which was never preachy, over the top or too slap stick. Honours to the writer/director for such restraint not only in the telling of the drama but also in the refinement of the comedy which resisted over wrought juvenile comedy tactics like fart and sex jokes (a true breath of fresh air considering the bogmire of "naughty" comedy we have had to wade through this season.)

The only critiscism is that the final confrontation is a little too overplayed, but the final few scenes help to let the audience overlook this with a realistic and enjoyable ending.

Special mention for James Earl Jones in his rather off beat role as a "young" rap dude, which he plays with true humour and as the film progresses, beautiful pathos.

This film is worth seeing. For social commentary or just for a laugh - it delivers.

There's no plot.

There's a fine story about a man gaining superpowers to clean up the neighborhood, but his adventures seem rather random. His adversaries also seem to lack a larger plan. The combination of the two makes for a fairly decent film that lacks a couple of key elements to make it an increbidly good film.

The comedy is good, as is the overall story. The acting is also top notch, as the characters portrayed are fun and enjoyable (I'm at a real loss to understand why other reviewers panned the acting ... possibly because they don't understand what it is they didn't like about the movie). But again the characters seem to lack a plan for their actions.

The gags in the film are exceptional, as is the case with the supermajority of Townsend's material. However a dash more comedy could've served this film as the jokes are more sporatic than constant. Not a whole lot more but a few more comic bits and comical characters could've really helped the film, because, like I said, the film bounces between a light hearted adventured and comedy. And I think this too probably confounded the people who didn't like the film.

The one thing I liked a great deal was seeing a lot of familiar actors one normally doesn't see. Read that as "black actors." Regrettably it takes a man like Townsend to bring a black cast to life. And I suppose on one plane that is as it should be; for who better to bring to life a tale of a Black/African-American/person-of-color superhero than a Black/African-American/person-of-color writer-director-actor?

An enjoyable film that strives for an A, but just misses its mark. It's definately worth seeing, and is very enjoyable, but if you come away somewhat empty understand that it's essentially a one man show where the writing is concerned.

A note to Townsend; make a sequel. This film deserves one, but bring in other writers to help you out with the script. A few more gags/jokes, and more plot, and you have yourself one fine film.