Meteor Man MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: +1

Prominently populated by black characters, METEOR MAN tries hard to be funny and partially succeeds. The hero of the show, mild mannered inner city school teacher Jeff Reed (Robert Townsend), is struck mysteriously by a flaming meteor from outer space. This imbues him with great physical strength, the ability to fly and other miraculous powers. Many of his black friends want him to help rid their neighborhood of a violent gang known as the Golden Lords. This bizarre bunch is headed up by a group of mean, yellow haired, glitzy costumed men. At the same time, they are aided by similar groups of junior and adolescent boys known as the Junior Lords and the Baby Lords. Even with his newly acquired powers, Jeff is not a brave soul, but eventually engages in battle with the gangs. This leads to many a shoot-out, gang battles and hand fights. Adding appeal to the show are comical black characters played by James Earl Jones and Bill Cosby. METEOR MAN is rather predictable, but is entertaining slapstick comedy and will undoubtedly appeal to the younger set.

Most of the gun battles and fighting in the film have a comical flavor and no one is actually shown being killed. But violence is a major theme of the story and at times seems excessive. It's also disturbing that the gangs of young boys delight in their weaponry and violent methods. To its credit, though, METEOR MAN has no sexual content and only a limited amount of foul language and sexually suggestive dialogue. Meteor Man does fight against crime and rallies the black community behind him. He also serves as a good role model for blacks and others as a crime fighter. Although limited, the crude language and the rather lighthearted portrayal of street gangs puts a damper on our evaluation of the film. However, since its violence is relatively subdued and a legitimate part of the story, the film can be given a positive rating. Parents should note, however, that it does not appear to be appropriate for younger children.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: MGM, 450 N. Roxbury Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210