blankman (1994) review
If an individual believes themselves to be a superhero and identifies as such, who are you or I to tell them no? Why would an otherwise sane citizen choose vigilantism? Who polices ignored communities where crime is often the worst? Blankman takes piercing comedic aim at these questions. It’s a knowingly lighthearted and humorous film boasting a tongue-in-cheek premise that works fascinatingly well as an early deconstruction of the (now) cluttered and often cookie-cutter superhero movie genre. Wayans’ Darryl Walker/Blankman is a hero without influence, money or power, super or otherwise. He’s smarter than most, possesses unshakable integrity and demonstrates more than a few behaviors (repetitive vocalizations, extreme difficulty with social situations, clumsiness, more) associated with Aspergers Syndrome. He’s also deadly serious about protecting his crime-infested neighborhood. Imagine the preceding as the profile for the lead protagonist of a 2021 superhero film - it would be applauded for subverting and advancing the genre. Dave Bautista’s Drax of Guardians of the Galaxy fame is rightfully acknowledged as first autism-spectrum superhero. Did Damon Wayans’ Blankman beat him to the punch 27 years ago? There’s a strong case. Blankman is as likable as protagonists come and the psychology of his character differs from Bruce Wayne/Batman only in wealth attainment. The film pokes fun at and revels in the inherent ridiculousness of caped heroism in a manner that feels like a thoughtful love letter to 1966 Batman. Not bad for a film debuting 6 years before Bryan Singer’s X-Men. Damon Wayans takes lead writing credit and I wonder if he knew in 1994 how the superhero movie genre would progress. Blankman is silly fun and tailor-made for die-hard fans of that Wayans Bros/In Living Color-era brand of humor. I happen to exist at the apex of the vortex of the two. RIP J5.