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Robert Townsend has managed to build an entire career on the basis of one funny movie (The Hollywood Shuffle)--even though he hasn't had one that was anywhere near as funny since. Case in point: This would-be comedy about an unwilling black superhero. Townsend plays a schoolteacher in a bad Washington, D.C., neighborhood that is controlled by a vicious drug gang (recognizable by their blonde-dyed hair). Then he is hit by a meteor and suddenly finds that he has super strength and can fly (and can read the minds of dogs). But Townsend's writing is surprisingly weak and, despite a cast that includes a mugging Bill Cosby, Eddie Griffin, Robert Guillaume, and sadly miscast James Earl Jones, this movie is never able to get off the ground. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great movie, great fun
... sure it's not the best movie ever, but great if you like this type of comedy...
It's been years since I last saw this movie though, but I might buy it next month (Depends on if I get enough money to buy it)

Good ideas. poor execution. Meteor Man is very very rocky.
Robert Townsend's the Meteor Man was supposed to be a satire of Comic books and Superheroes. Unfortunately, it's a poor copy of the Batman TV show of the 60's without any of the humor. Townsend makes a ton of mistakes here and all of them make the movie one of the worst you'll ever see.
Meteor Man could have been a lot of fun to watch; a black superhero satire film is really an interesting premise. While Townsend is very good at satire he doesn't know that the method of acting in this type of satire is actually "Camp." In order to make fun of Comic books and Superheroes you must understand the mechanics of comedy and what style works best to tell the jokes in. Superheroes are already farfetched and the only way to poke fun at them in their world is for the characters to take themselves seriously. Unfortunately, Townsend tells to cast to take their roles for a joke and that's a big mistake. "Camp" only works when the actors play their roles seriously. The serious performances working in tandem with the satiric jokes pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the situations the hero involves himself in as opposed to how it's seen in the real world and that's what makes it funny. When the actors are aware of the joke we can't laugh with them or at them. Contrast MM to the Batman TV show, Wild Wild West, or Sam Raimi's Hercules, Xena, or even the Tick TV series. In each of these shows the actors take their roles so seriously that we laugh at how absurd the situations are as opposed to the real world. We know about the jokes that the characters don't.
Townsend's second mistake was casting big name stars in the film. To make Camp work you need to cast unknown actors in the roles so they blend into the characters. People Like Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones stand out like sore thumbs in this film and look so ridiculous that we can't laugh at the jokes they tell. The use of then rapper Big Daddy Kane, commedian Sinbad and the group Another Bad creation wearing bad blond fades just look cartoonish. Smaller actors taking their roles seriously would have made this work.
Townsend's third and final mistake in this film was the script. It's not serious. It makes comic books look cartoonish. On top of that it's preachy and shallow; it's clear that he didn't research comic books or superheroes at all before writing it. The origin and the powers of the meteor man come together so poorly that we can't suspend our disbelief at his superhuman abilities. A meteor slamming into a man would kill him, not give him powers. Him toching a meteor rock and getting powers would make sense. On top of that his powers are inconsistent. Flight and Super Strength make sense but the ability to read any book by touching it had me scratching my head.
I don't see this film as a creative failure for Robert Townsend. I'm glad he tried to do something different and original with a Black film. Meteor Man had the potential to be something great, however, Townsend didn't do the necessary research to make this type of comedy work. He might have watched the old Batman show for reference, but didn't take the time to dissect the jokes to understand what made them funny like he did in his great first film Hollywood Shuffle. I'm hoping someone tries another film like this because I think someone who understands the style of humor that camp is could make a truly great film.

Worst movie I have seen in a long time.
There are dozens of clever, offbeat films worth watching, but this isn't one of them. Makes Pootie Tang look like an Oscar winner.

One of my Favs.
I Thought this movie was good maybe not the best but i thought it was good. many cameo appearances many celebs. Even though some people thought the movie wasnt that funny i thought it was. Especially the last scene. I cant wait til it comes out on dvd february 18th. Im definetly getting it and i think you should too.

What can you say?
Even though actors like Bill Cosby appear in this movie, Robert Townsend's acting and directing of humor is sadly unfocused and becomes little more then sad at trying to be funny, when it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

OOH! One more thing I forgot to say!
When I posted my review I named Kevin Brown as one of the background singers. That was incorrect. His name is Kevin OWENS and he was originally the lead singer of the group Ray, Goodman & Brown.

Also, two other songs featured in this concert are "Any Love" and one of my personal favorites, "For You to Love", a song that has that one of the funkiest bass lines (check out the fingersnaps!) K. Just wanted to add that. Again. Get this tape! You won't be disappointed in this trip down memory lane.

CLB.

"Stop! to Love" this video!
I LOVED this concert and sat there mesmerized when I first watched it. It is a known fact that Luther Vandross has one of the most recognizable voices in the industry. No one can touch him vocally, stylistically.

This night of romance in this Wembly concert captures Luther at his best! (Big and Beautiful) He mixes oldies but goodies ("Searching"/"Never too Much"/"Love Won't Let Me Wait") with newer ones of that time ("Come Back"/"Stop to Love"/"She Wont Talk to Me"/"Give Me the Reason")

The focus is on him and his backup singers, who are elegantly dressed in glittery evening gowns and diamond-studded tuxedo, while his wonderfully talented band is in the orchestra pit, directed by Nat Adderly Jr. Kyle Turner is the featured sax man on this tour.

Every song is cleverly choreographed with sassy, classy and sophisticated moves from Ava Cherry, Kevin Brown & and Lisa Fisher. They dance almost effortlessly on a circular stage that is slowly rotating 360 degrees the entire time. The energy is magnetic and the playfulness between him and his singers will bring smiles and laughter. The joking with his band members and talking to the audience is an added bonus.

On his classic "signature" ballads, "Superstar" and "A House is Not A Home" Luther is truly breathtaking. We see why he's the master of his craft. I'm talking chills down your spine from those silky riffs, runs and ad libs. And NO ONE can break it down like "Lu".

Nuff said. Go and get your own to see/hear what I'm talkin' about. You will want to watch this tape again and again!

Peace. CLB.

This is the best music video I've seen in a long time .
I first saw this video in Germany and was very impress with the quality and the performance of the artist. I just had to have it. Thank you for listing it here online. I recommand this video for true music lovers everywhere. If it was possible I would like to have a CD, and DVD of this music video. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great movie, great fun
... sure it's not the best movie ever, but great if you like this type of comedy...
It's been years since I last saw this movie though, but I might buy it next month (Depends on if I get enough money to buy it)

Good ideas. poor execution. Meteor Man is very very rocky.
Robert Townsend's the Meteor Man was supposed to be a satire of Comic books and Superheroes. Unfortunately, it's a poor copy of the Batman TV show of the 60's without any of the humor. Townsend makes a ton of mistakes here and all of them make the movie one of the worst you'll ever see.
Meteor Man could have been a lot of fun to watch; a black superhero satire film is really an interesting premise. While Townsend is very good at satire he doesn't know that the method of acting in this type of satire is actually "Camp." In order to make fun of Comic books and Superheroes you must understand the mechanics of comedy and what style works best to tell the jokes in. Superheroes are already farfetched and the only way to poke fun at them in their world is for the characters to take themselves seriously. Unfortunately, Townsend tells to cast to take their roles for a joke and that's a big mistake. "Camp" only works when the actors play their roles seriously. The serious performances working in tandem with the satiric jokes pokes fun at the ridiculousness of the situations the hero involves himself in as opposed to how it's seen in the real world and that's what makes it funny. When the actors are aware of the joke we can't laugh with them or at them. Contrast MM to the Batman TV show, Wild Wild West, or Sam Raimi's Hercules, Xena, or even the Tick TV series. In each of these shows the actors take their roles so seriously that we laugh at how absurd the situations are as opposed to the real world. We know about the jokes that the characters don't.
Townsend's second mistake was casting big name stars in the film. To make Camp work you need to cast unknown actors in the roles so they blend into the characters. People Like Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones stand out like sore thumbs in this film and look so ridiculous that we can't laugh at the jokes they tell. The use of then rapper Big Daddy Kane, commedian Sinbad and the group Another Bad creation wearing bad blond fades just look cartoonish. Smaller actors taking their roles seriously would have made this work.
Townsend's third and final mistake in this film was the script. It's not serious. It makes comic books look cartoonish. On top of that it's preachy and shallow; it's clear that he didn't research comic books or superheroes at all before writing it. The origin and the powers of the meteor man come together so poorly that we can't suspend our disbelief at his superhuman abilities. A meteor slamming into a man would kill him, not give him powers. Him toching a meteor rock and getting powers would make sense. On top of that his powers are inconsistent. Flight and Super Strength make sense but the ability to read any book by touching it had me scratching my head.
I don't see this film as a creative failure for Robert Townsend. I'm glad he tried to do something different and original with a Black film. Meteor Man had the potential to be something great, however, Townsend didn't do the necessary research to make this type of comedy work. He might have watched the old Batman show for reference, but didn't take the time to dissect the jokes to understand what made them funny like he did in his great first film Hollywood Shuffle. I'm hoping someone tries another film like this because I think someone who understands the style of humor that camp is could make a truly great film.

Worst movie I have seen in a long time.
There are dozens of clever, offbeat films worth watching, but this isn't one of them. Makes Pootie Tang look like an Oscar winner.

One of my Favs.
I Thought this movie was good maybe not the best but i thought it was good. many cameo appearances many celebs. Even though some people thought the movie wasnt that funny i thought it was. Especially the last scene. I cant wait til it comes out on dvd february 18th. Im definetly getting it and i think you should too.

What can you say?
Even though actors like Bill Cosby appear in this movie, Robert Townsend's acting and directing of humor is sadly unfocused and becomes little more then sad at trying to be funny, when it is not. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

the best
i think luther is a wonderful fun filled person.and that he sings so nicely and to see him sing is even more amazing than just listing to the song.

Luther at his best!
This video is awesome. I love Luther and if you don't - You will after seeing the man in action! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A place of Joy
Any "Best of.." recording gives the audience a chance to look at the growth of the artiste. "The Best of Luther Vandross" does just that! If it is possible to be consistently superior and yet get better, then Mr. Vandross clearly has only gotten better over the years (not to mention the fact that he looks better!). From the kid on the big truck singing "Stop to Love" to the classy mature man singing "A House is not a Home", I remain transfixed. One day, I will actually go to a Luther Vandross concert....

Matters of the Heart
I give Luther 5 Stars on this video because it's soulful, electrifying, and it's heartfelt. It touches the lives of many people. Luther is a natural.
I believe this is the best video Luther has done. I think it should be on DVD also.

Companion video to new Vandross Hits CD...
This tape has the videos from the beginning and to his "Power of Love" days--nice "in studio" filming of "The Rush" and the remake of "A House Is Not A Home"...like I said on another review, "There's Never Too Much Vandross"...these vids are as classic as the tunes...standout videos are "Don't Want to Be a Fool" and "Here and Now"... ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Stunning live performances of great songs we ALL know!
The other kind reviewers have already mentioned how great this video performance is, so I won't go on too long.
One thing that comes through to me though is the FUN! Burt and the principal performers are just plain havin' a good time.
The songs are beautiful (and mostly sad) love songs.
You've heard 'em, I've heard 'em, we've ALL heard them.
Still I must single out Luther Vandross' wonderful performance of the 'Windows of the World'/'What the World Needs Now' medley!
As I told a friend, this gives me some hope for humanity!
Play it for your kids! I think you might be surprised!
I played it for some 10-12 year olds who had (of course) never heard of Burt Bacharach. They were MESMERIZED!
Good music is just plain GOOD MUSIC. Five enthusiastic stars!
Thanks for reading.

These are great performances...
...I am much impressed with Sheryl Crow's "One Less Bell.." and Wynnona's "Anyone who Has A Heart". Even Burt's job on "Alfie" (the world's greatest pop tune ever made, period) has me in awe everytime I see it. This is a great show for all..

A favorite for the whole family
This is a wonderful tribute to the fabulous music of Burt Bachrach. Includes most of his best tunes and the artists who perform them do an outstanding job of truly keeping the original sound and feeling. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me and has become a favorite of my three-year old . . . she loves everyone from All Saints, Sheryl Crow and Luther Vandross to "that funny guy" (Mike Myers) ! !

Awesome..
A must have for all Bacharach lovers. How I wished I could bein the audience.What a thrill.. Sheryl Crow's performance was simplyoutstanding. Wynona, Mike Myers, Dionne, David Sanborne, George Duke, Costello and the whole band were all fantastic.. Get the video now!

Dream come true:-)
Being a Burt Bacharach fan since I was young in the 60's/70's. I'm so glad that he's back. This is such a nice walk down memory lane w/ current performer's. I especially love Luther Vandross, Wynonna and Dionne. If you love Burt Bacharach you'll love this video. I'm purchasing it for my mother this Christmas and have already purchased the CD for myself and love it. ... Read more