The Meteor Man – 1993 – A trip back to nostalgia land

The Meteor Man

Once you look back to your youth or childhood and remember things you really enjoyed. Be aware that your memories might fool you. The masterpiece from your youth might not be such a gem anymore. Of course, the other way round is also true. I remember The Meteor Man as a silly and accidentally funny movie. Now I realize that it actually isn’t. Robert Townsend, who wrote, directed, and starred in it has made a pretty good job delivering a message. The Meteor Man is about this anti-hero that gains superpowers when he’s hit by a meteor. Of course, the special effects aren’t that good, but that’s not the main part of the movie anyway. I don’t think that Robert Townsend aimed for anything that would look spectacular. Maybe that’s why the image of it being a silly movie was stuck in me.

We also have to keep in mind that this is a comedy, not an action superhero movie. Something I might not have realized in my youth. I think I just saw the cheap cover of the film and laughed out loud. I still laugh at this movie but that’s not why. There’s actually a message in there. And The Meteor Mans’s real identity Jefferson Reed undergoes metamorphosis to unwillingly becoming a superhero. Then he gets rejected by his peers when things go south. Finally, his legacy is redeemed and in a somewhat different way. But at least the actions done by The Meteor Man has an impact on society.

Sure there are silly moments, but they’re not unintentional. This is a comedy after all. In an almost all-black cast, we also notice James Earl Jones and Bill Cosby in some minor parts. There are other familiar faces as well but I can’t really connect the faces to names. That’s a weakness I have.