Blankman

Infobox Film
name = Blankman


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Mike Binder
producer = C.O. Erickson
Eric L. Gold
writer = Damon Wayans (story & screenplay)
J.F. Lawton (screenplay)
starring = Damon Wayans
David Alan Grier
Robin Givens
Christopher Lawford
music = Miles Goodman
Michael Jay
cinematography = Newton Thomas Sigel
editing = Adam Weiss
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = 19 August 1994
runtime = 92 min.
gross = $7,941,977
country = United States
language = English
mpaa_rating = PG-13
imdb_id = 0109288

"Blankman" is a 1994 superhero parody film starring Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier, who are both of "In Living Color" fame. The film was directed by Mike Binder.

Plot Summary

Darryl (Damon Wayans) is a nerdy, child-like man with a genius for inventing various gadgets out of junk. After tragedy hits his family, and when he stumbles on a method to make his clothes bulletproof, he decides to use his skills to become the lowest budgeted superhero ever. His brother Kevin (David Alan Grier) disapproves of Darryl fighting crime as "Blankman", but soon finds himself fighting alongside his brother as "Other Guy", an easily overlooked partner with no special weapons or crime-fighting abilities.

Cast

* Damon Wayans - Blankman / Darryl Walker
* Jon Polito - Michael "The Suit" Minelli
* David Alan Grier - Other Guy / Kevin Walker
* Robin Givens - Kimberly Jonz
* Jason Alexander - Mr. Stone
* Lynne Thigpen - Grandma Walker

Influences

While "The Meteor Man" was a parody of Superman, "Blankman" is most clearly a parody of the Batman franchise. The opening shots in the film reveal the childhood versions of Blankman and his brother watching an episode of the 1960s Batman TV show, starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The movie uses the same fight scene graphic style (e.g. "Zap!", "Pow!") as the show, and Blankman relies heavily on gadgets, which he makes out of ordinary household appliances (J-5, Blankman's all-purpose robot, for example, is made from an old washing machine).

In addition to this, Blankman has his own version of the "Batcave," an old abandoned train station where he keeps various do-dads and gadgetry. The film "Blankman" follows a trend of early 1990s superhero movies, blending Golden Age superheroism with modern urban crime and African American heroes (such as Meteor Man and The Rza's Bobby Digital). There are also some influences from the Superman franchise; similar to Clark Kent's glasses, Blankman uses his nerdy specs to hide his true identity, though those who know Blankman and his true self (Darryl) are not fooled.

External links

*imdb title|id=0109288|title=Blankman