THE METEOR MAN, a satirical fantasy about a man who uses newfound super-powers to clean up his ghetto neighborhood, wants to be cartoonish and meaningful at the same time. But director-star Robert Townsend misses the mark, and the combination of whimsy and piety is deadly.
Jefferson Reed is a well-meaning teacher living in a crime-ridden city. One night, Reed is struck by a meteor and hospitalized with severe burns; a bit of the meteor is found and taken home by a local bum (Bill Cosby). Reed, meanwhile, heals quickly and discovers he now has remarkable powers:
X-ray vision, the ability to absorb the information in books by touching them, the ability to speak ...
Released:
1993
Rated:
PG
Length:
100 mins