I was a huge fan of In Living Color (1990) and have always had an appreciation for the comedic minds on that show, following several of them into their budding film careers, so when I discovered there was a movie starring David Alan Grier and Damon Wayans that seemed somewhat inspired by their superhero character Handi-Man from the show, I was all in. However, just because we have some elements of a good thing doesn't always mean success is guaranteed, and in the case of 1994's Blankman, the naivety of youth is probably where this “comedy classic” should have resided.
What if we made an inept superhero but used him as an homage to Batman '66? Damon is Really a fansince shows like the old Adam West and Green Hornet adventures (1966) helped fuel his childhood imagination. Blankman not only shows a snippet of the show, but also has the fancy logo transitions, overly complicated death traps, similar dialogue, and that familiar onomatopoeia: pow, smack, splat, crash, and lots of Aghhhhhhhh! He shows some respect for Batman '66, and I like that, but he takes away some of the charm and tries to replace it with a more edgy tinge (just look at his gadgets or how he points at most things), making him look like Bruce Wayne if he were broke and lived downtown.
“Slap me and call me Susan.”
“You’ll believe a man can fly” when you hear the sound he makes after being slapped.
Darryl (Wayans) and Kevin (Grier) Walker are two completely opposite brothers who follow different paths in life but are kept together by the fact that they still live together under the guidance of their resourceful grandmother, Eleanor Walker (Lynne Thigpen). Kevin has a steady job, co-workers, and sneaks girls into the apartment when he thinks his grandmother isn't finding out, while Darryl is less developed and doesn't do well at his job as an appliance repairman (but at least his boss is the Micro Machines Man) and is generally incredibly clumsy. When his grandmother is murdered, Darryl decides to do his part to stop crime with bulletproof fabric, weird and incredible gadgets, and the guidance he learned from those old superhero shows. He even has a fancy vehicle known as the Blank-wheel and a Short Circuit (1986)-inspired robot, J-5 – all pretty impressive since the only way he can apparently fix his glasses is with a fork.
That’s the basic story, but some of the supporting characters are much more interesting. I love Lynne Thigpen. She’ll always be my boss from Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and her witty comebacks here are another humorous side to dick jokes we all knew were there. The real crime is that she’s not in the movie anymore. We have Robin Givens (Head of the Class, Batwoman) as Kimberly Jonz, who acts as the love interest for both brothers and our Lois Lane, trying to get the interview with Blankman and making him orgasm with just one kiss. She and Wayans almost have good chemistry here. The main antagonist is Michael “The Suit” Minelli, played by Jon Polito (The Crow), who gives a lot here but comes off as an annoying, mean-spirited child and just doesn’t measure up to that classic over-the-top villain they were close to parodying. Jason Alexander, however, plays Kevin and Kimberly’s boss, Mr. Stone. Now this is a man with a dark side, who believes the truth is created by those who write it and proves willing to trample anyone to get the story. Maybe he should have been the secret final boss. Sadly, no matter how cruel he is, Stone's character is mostly played by wheelchair jokes, a bit of perversion, and a bad bald cap.
The film contains other notable faces and quirky performances, but the cast isn't the problem. Truth be told, I found myself laughing more at these jokes and interactions than I thought I would all these years later. Scenes like Blankman showing Kimberly around the lair or his first forays as a crimefighter are entertaining, and I chuckled at the slightly more childish elements, like a kiss that is his kryptonite, causing our hero to go wild uncontrollably, but the story as a whole is weak and missing something. The first half of the film is better than the end, and most of the solid parts are in the characters' day-to-day lives, but once it's time to get down to business and both brothers put on their hideous costumes, the shine quickly fades.
I like the little details in this more than anything in the overall story, like the way J-5 gets reprogrammed with a SEGA Genesis and cartridges, or when Kevin accidentally says Darryl's name before the horrible way Blankman comes up with them and his brother assures him that no one knows who he is. I made notes about the items on the psychologist's desk (who happens to be the director of the movie) and ways to fill in plot holes because that was more intriguing to me. I just think this works better as a parody than a complete idea, and that sucks because by all accounts they had a lot of fun making this movie, and it's It didn't do well in theatersTo be fair, Wayan's films have always been a bit hit and miss, with his best work being The Last Boy Scout (1991).
“He's just a little McMad right now.”
Blankman's script It started as a version of FartmanHoward Stern’s character, but writer J.F. Lawton had to rethink the idea when that project fell through and ended up working with Wayans to create something different but with a similar tone. The new approach was for the film to keep its humor and raunchiness, but be positive overall, with a message about how everyone can stand up and be a hero in their own way. It’s a silly story, but one that attempts to introduce some substance into its core, notions that apply to many viewers. I’m not sure if it necessarily got it right, but it’s there.
The black superhero genre has always had a powerful underground push, especially in the 90s, and Many in the community appreciate Blankman's spirit. and its depiction of a black nerd from early childhood. Darryl is an interesting character who seems like an excitable man-child, someone we would probably say is on the spectrum, an obsessive inventor with extreme neuroses who doesn't understand most social interactions. It's an aspect of the film Wayans was not eager to expandbut that fits perfectly into the world and tone they've set. The music sounds silly at first, but there are some interesting names on the soundtrack and these lyrics are somewhat poignant with the underlying social issues and deeper themes of the narrative, however, the music in some scenes makes me think this could easily be re-edited as a horror film.
Kevin mockingly refers to Darryl as Urkel, followed by a “Did I do that?” later in the film. I respect most things that evoke Family Matters, but this felt like a comedy movie trying to make us think it was as good as one of the masters. Funnily enough, I knew Blankman had truly achieved cult status when I saw it on an episode of Twisted Metal (2023). I’m not saying that’s how most creators know they’ve done something, but it’s certainly one way to know your work left an impression. To be remembered by someone in that way is to be loved by at least one person, or something. This film is constantly compared to Meteor Man (1993), perhaps somewhat unfairly. Blankman tried to stand on its own, be the comedy Batman of that era, and leave us with a few laughs, but all these years later, it has a few dedicated fans, and to everyone else, it’s just firing blanks.