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 and written by Damon Wayans and J. F. Lawton.
Plot
Darryl (Damon Wayans) is a clumsy nerdy appliance repairman, who is a gifted genius and blessed with a pure heart and optimistic Pollyannish personality. He is childishly naive to the realities of living in an inner city neighborhood that is gradually decaying, political corruption, and the police are on strike. It takes the murder of his grandmother, an avid supporter of Alderman Marvin Harris' anti corruption campaign for Mayor, by members of mobster Michael Minelli to awaken him to the realities of his city's urban decay.
He expresses his frustrations by forcefully protecting an elderly transit passenger from being mugged, and by ranting about the general corruptible state that the city has become. He was so pure and shielded from reality presumably because of his inventing that he doesn't even realize that there is a "crackhouse in front of our flat", and is so oblivious to the dangers that such an environment poses that he tries to storm into it and rebuke the gang members.
This new awareness to social issues, inspires Darryl to become Blankman. He uses his technical expertise to create crime fighting tools, a robot helper named J-five, a bullet proof suit, and emulates Batman. His brother Kevin, a tabloid news cameraman, goes along with this fantasy believing that it's Darryl's way to deal with the murder of his grandmother from an insane act of violence. But, Darell becomes so delusional with is new identity, that he believes he can be granted with, and demands an audience with the police commissioner, but The Police are not impressed with his act and ridicule him by calling him "Shithead Man," and arresting him for disturbing the peace. Darryl is released on orders to see a shrink. The shrink calls Darryl normal, but a geek, infuriating Kevin, who the shrink then attempts to psychoanalyze.
After Darryl is nearly killed protecting a prostitute from her pimp, Kevin tries to get him to tone his activities down, advising and assisting him with a neighborhood watch. Undeterred, Darryl is assisted by Kevin, and together they save a life. After he delivers a woman's baby in an elevator, he is asked for his name. Darryl just stares, and Kevin replies, "He's gone blank, ma'am." Both the lady and the reporters interpret this as a name: Blankman.
Over time, he protects various other people in the city, building up a reputation and inspiring both the town and other superheroes, such as Gay Man and Midget Man. Kevin, hoping to win the affections of Kimberly Johns, a reporter at his TV station, begs Darryl to allow her to interview him. He relents, on the condition that she wear a carnation. He brings her to his secret hideout, an abandoned subway station, and they talk about how he took up his duties to memorialize his grandmother and prevent crime from happening to others. Impressed by his heroics and modesty, Kimberly kisses Darryl, causing an embarrassing reaction.
Mayor Harris, who refused Minelli's attempts at bribery, attempts to bring in outside money to pay the IOUs the city has been giving its workers. He also asks that Blankman be there to protect the people and receive a special award. As the money is released, Minelli's henchmen storm the bank and take the mayor hostage, threatening to detonate explosives. At the police chief's request and the crowd's chants, Blankman attempts to save the mayor, but is unable to disarm all the bombs. He reveals his identity to the mayor and tells him his grandmother truly believed in him. Mayor Harris wishes him well and warns him to run, saying he will give Blankman's grandmother his love. Blankman runs out screaming as the bank explodes. The crowd, seeing his failure, turn on him, chasing him down the street. Darryl then gives up his heroic works for a normal life, getting a job at McDonald's.
Wanting a great story, Kevin's boss Jason Stone, a tabloid news junkie, manages to contact Minelli and trades knowledge of Blankman's love for Kimberly in exchange for an exclusive interview. While doing research on Minelli and their grandmother's death, Kimberly calls Kevin with the news. As Kevin answers, Minelli takes Kimberly hostage. Minelli issues a verbal threat to Kevin (thinking he is talking to Blankman), telling him he will kill Kimberly if Blankman doesn't show up. Kevin rushes to Darryl's workplace with the news, but Darryl refuses to help, wanting a normal life. Kevin finally convinces him with the news that Minelli had their grandmother killed and that he will wear the costumy Darryl designed for him. The two then rush to the TV station.
After shooting the reporter interviewing him, Minelli becomes fed up. While threatening Stone, Kevin and Darryl crash through the window and attempt a rescue. The two engage in a fight with Minelli's goons, losing. They are placed in a lottery water tank and left to slowly drown. Stone and Kimberly are chained to desks and left to die as Minelli has hidden bombs in the building. At this point, Darryl calls in J-5, his robot assistant, to save them. J-5 drills hole in the tank and the pair kick their way to freedom at the last minute. The duo then search for the bombs, finding them in a ladies' bathroom. Activating J-5's "bomb disposal mode," Darryl stuffs the explosives inside and frees Kimberly. Stone is left behind, a joke Kevin wants to play on his boss. Once outside, the explosives detonate, destroying J-5. Distraught, Blankman threatens revenge.
Tracking Minelli to his hideout in a factory, the two prepare for the final battle. Kevin, though is overconfident, daring Minelli to shoot him. As Darryl attempts to stop him, Kevin is shot. While falling from the rafters, Darryl yells that he forgot to make Kevin's suit bulletproof. Blankman then defeats Minelli's goons with his electric nunchucks. Finally, activating his jet-powered roller blades, Blankman captures Minelli and delivers him to the police. Blankman is once again acknowledged as a hero by the people, receiving the Mayor Harris Award for outstanding community service at a ceremony in his honor. Kevin, still injured, receives a Blankman t-shirt.
After the ceremony, Kevin introduces Kimberly to "Darryl." The two make light conversation until Kimberly pretends to see a purse snatcher, putting Darryl on alert. Kimberly then reveals she knows who he is, kissing him. Darryl then gets the same embarrassing reaction he had the first time.
Cast
References
External links
