The Meteor Man (film)
Encyclopedia
The Meteor Man is a 1993
superhero film
written, directed, and starring Robert Townsend, and featuring an ensemble cast
. 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.
which crashes down from the sky. His spine is crushed and he receives severe burns. A small fragment of the meteor was left over and was taken by a silent vagrant (Bill Cosby
). Reed awakens several days later in the hospital, but when his bandages are taken off, he is miraculously healed from all his injuries.
Jeff soon discovers the meteorite has left him with other abilities too, such as flight, x-ray vision, superhuman strength, invulnerability, healing powers, absorb a book's content by touch, freezing breath, telepathy with dogs and telekinesis. Confiding this to his parents (Robert Guillaume
and Marla Gibbs
), he is convinced by them to use his powers to try and help the community. His mother designs a costume for him, 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 to the police, the Crips
and Bloods
(who begin work to work together to rebuild the community they destroyed) and plants a giant garden in the middle of the ghetto.
The Golden Lords learn of Meteor Man's identity, and the ongoing loss of his powers. As the gang vs. the community rivalry gets out of hand, after yet another attack by the Golden Lords. The community members plan to make a deal with them, Jeff jumps in and teaches them about fighting for their beliefs. A powerless Jeff fights Simon and gets beaten up in the process. Simon raises his gun up towards Jeff, planning to shoot him until Jeff's neighbor (James Earl Jones
) throws a record at him and successfully knocks the gun out of Simon's hand. At this point the neighborhood fights back and the same man who picked up the small meteor fragment uses it to strip the Golden Lords of their guns. The man accidentally drops the meteor on the ground with Jeff and Simon noticing this. They both get a fragment of the meteor, gaining superpowers
, and engage in a brawl, with Meteor Man as the victor.
Afterwards, the 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".
produced a 6-issue limited series
spin-off
titled Meteor Man
.
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
written, directed, and starring Robert Townsend, and featuring an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
. Townsend stars as a mild-mannered schoolteacher, who becomes a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
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
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
neighborhood of Baltimore. Robert Townsend named the film's protagonist Jefferson Reed, after one of his childhood heroes, his favorite teacher.
Plot
Jefferson Reed 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, and as he climbs out of it, he is struck down by a glowing green meteoriteMeteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
which crashes down from the sky. His spine is crushed and he receives severe burns. A small fragment of the meteor was left over and was taken by a silent vagrant (Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
). Reed awakens several days later in the hospital, but when his bandages are taken off, he is miraculously healed from all his injuries.
Jeff soon discovers the meteorite has left him with other abilities too, such as flight, x-ray vision, superhuman strength, invulnerability, healing powers, absorb a book's content by touch, freezing breath, telepathy with dogs and telekinesis. Confiding this to his parents (Robert Guillaume
Robert Guillaume
Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
and Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
), he is convinced by them to use his powers to try and help the community. His mother designs a costume for him, and as The Meteor Man, he takes on the Golden Lords and their leader Simon Caine (Roy Fegan
Roy Fegan
Roy Fegan born is an African-American actor and entertainer, best known for his role as Simon Caine in the film Meteor Man.-Biography:Roy was born on January 27, 1961 in Los Angles, California...
). He shuts down 15 crack houses, stops 11 robberies, brings peace to the police, the Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
and Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
(who begin work to work together to rebuild the community they destroyed) and plants a giant garden in the middle of the ghetto.
The Golden Lords learn of Meteor Man's identity, and the ongoing loss of his powers. As the gang vs. the community rivalry gets out of hand, after yet another attack by the Golden Lords. The community members plan to make a deal with them, Jeff jumps in and teaches them about fighting for their beliefs. A powerless Jeff fights Simon and gets beaten up in the process. Simon raises his gun up towards Jeff, planning to shoot him until Jeff's neighbor (James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
) throws a record at him and successfully knocks the gun out of Simon's hand. At this point the neighborhood fights back and the same man who picked up the small meteor fragment uses it to strip the Golden Lords of their guns. The man accidentally drops the meteor on the ground with Jeff and Simon noticing this. They both get a fragment of the meteor, gaining superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
, and engage in a brawl, with Meteor Man as the victor.
Afterwards, the drug lord Mr. Byers (Frank Gorshin
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
) 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 - Jefferson Reed / The Meteor Man
- Marla GibbsMarla GibbsMarla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
- Maxine Reed - Eddie GriffinEddie GriffinEdward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
- Michael Anderson - Robert GuillaumeRobert GuillaumeRobert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
- Ted Reed - James Earl JonesJames Earl JonesJames Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
- Earnest Moses - Roy FeganRoy FeganRoy Fegan born is an African-American actor and entertainer, best known for his role as Simon Caine in the film Meteor Man.-Biography:Roy was born on January 27, 1961 in Los Angles, California...
- Simon Caine - Don CheadleDon CheadleDonald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
- Goldilocks - Bobby McGee - Uzi
- Bill CosbyBill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
- Marvin - Big Daddy KaneBig Daddy KaneAntonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
- Pirate - Frank GorshinFrank GorshinFrank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
- Anthony Byers - Sinbad - Malik
- Nancy WilsonNancy Wilson (singer)Nancy Wilson is an American singer with more than 70 albums, and three Grammy Awards. She has been labeled a singer of blues, jazz, cabaret and pop; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer." The title she prefers, however, is song stylist...
- Principal Laws - Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
- Jamison - Another Bad CreationAnother Bad CreationAnother Bad Creation were an American R&B and rap musical group from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:ABC consists of Romell “RoRo” Chapman, Chris Sellers, David Shelton and brothers Demetrius and Marliss Pugh, as well as “unofficial” member Adrian “G.A.” Witcher...
- Jr. Lords - Tommy 'Tiny' Lister - Digit
- Jenifer LewisJenifer LewisJenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American film and television actress and singer.-Early life:Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri, to a nurse's aid mother and a factory worker father. She attended college at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri...
- Mrs. Williams - Naughty by NatureNaughty by NatureNaughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
- Bloods - Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
- Crips - Beverly JohnsonBeverly JohnsonBeverly Johnson is an American model, actress, and businesswoman. She made history when she rose to fame as the first black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974...
- Woman Doctor - LaWanda PageLaWanda PageLaWanda Page , born Alberta Peal, was an American actress and comedienne best known for her portrayal of Aunt Esther in the 1970s TV sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life and career:...
- Old Nurse - Lela RochonLela RochonLela Rochon is an American actress who is best known for her role as Robin Stokes in the movie Waiting to Exhale....
- Vanessa the Pretty Nurse - Dekwon Shawshanks - Mr. Little
- John WitherspoonJohn Witherspoon (actor)John Witherspoon is an American comedian and actor who has had roles in over 28 movies and 20 television shows. Mostly known for the "Friday" series, he has been acting for over three decades and starred in shows such as Hollywood Shuffle , Boomerang...
- Clarence James Carter III - Chris TuckerChris TuckerChristopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.-Early life:...
- MC in Mall (uncredited)
Soundtrack
- "Can't Let Her Get Away" - Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- "It's for YouIt's for You (Shanice song)"It's for You" is a song by Shanice and produced by Eric Kirkland and Michael Angelo Saulsberry of Portrait with drum programming by Maurice Thompson. It also features a rap verse from Brett Bouldin. It was one of the singles released from the soundtrack of the film The Meteor Man. It became...
" - ShaniceShaniceShanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox , better known as Shanice, is a Grammy-nominated American R&B/soul singer-songwriter. She scored two Top 5 Billboard hit single's "I Love Your Smile" in 1991, and "Saving Forever for You" in 1993. In 1999, Shanice scored another top hit song, "When I Close My Eyes"... - "Don't Waste My Time" - Lisa Taylor
- "You Turn Me On" - Hi-FiveHi-FiveHi-Five is an American R&B quintet based out of Waco, Texas, who had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with "I Like the Way ". Hi-Five was formed in 1990, and consisted of the late Tony Thompson, Roderick "Pooh" Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley...
- "Who Can"
- "Your Future Is Our Future" - Daryl ColeyDaryl Coley-Early life:Daryl Coley was born in Berkeley, California in 1955, spending his formative years in Oakland, California. His parents separated when he was five years old, with he and his two siblings being raised by his mother in a solid Christian home. Musically, Coley was first influenced by his...
& Frank McCombFrank McCombFrank McComb is a soul singer and keyboardist. Often compared to Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, McComb has collaborated with many renowned recording artists including Prince, Chaka Khan, Teddy Pendergrass, Gerald Levert, and Teena Marie.- Early career :Frank McComb began his career in February... - "I Say a Prayer" - Howard HewettHoward HewettHoward Hewett is an American R&B and gospel singer and former lead vocalist of the R&B group Shalamar.Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles. He would eventually meet Soul Train dancer and future first wife Rainey Riley-Cunningham, then a secretary of the show's creator and original...
- "Is It Just Too Much" - Keith WashingtonKeith WashingtonKeith Washington is an American R&B vocalist from Detroit, Michigan who scored a hit single in the United States in 1991 with "Kissing You," which was also used as background music for a General Hospital on ABC...
- "Somebody Cares for You" - Frank McCombFrank McCombFrank McComb is a soul singer and keyboardist. Often compared to Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, McComb has collaborated with many renowned recording artists including Prince, Chaka Khan, Teddy Pendergrass, Gerald Levert, and Teena Marie.- Early career :Frank McComb began his career in February...
- "Good Love" - Elaine Stepter
- "Ain't Nobody Bad (Like Meteor Man)" - Big Hat Ray Ray
Comic
Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
produced a 6-issue limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
titled Meteor Man
Meteor Man (comic)
Meteor Man is a comic book spin-off of the 1993 MGM film The Meteor Man. Marvel Comics produced a 6-issue limited series where Meteor Man met Spider-Man and Night Thrasher...
.
Reception
The Meteor Man received mixed reviews. Roger Ebert wrote, "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 Superheroes Lives