Robert Townsend likes super hero content, I'm not sure why I never realized it. He was Meteor Man of course. Later he was in multiple episodes of Black Lightning and we all know Robert Townsend is not in The CW budget. Before that he stared in a little Disney Channel original film called Up, Up, and Away.
Scott Marshall is just a normal kid, which doesn't work for his family. He comes from one of the most decorated hero families of all time. His grandmother is a shape shifter, his grandfather is Steel Condor who can fly and use super strength. His dad Jim, Bronze Eagle, flight and super strength. Judy his mother, is Warrior Woman and has super strength, super speed and incredible martial arts abilities. Adam is his big brother, The Silver Charge and he's got super speed and electrokenisis. Even his pyromaniac little sister Molly has X-Ray vision and heat vision.
As Scott's 14th birthday rapidly approaches, he begins to fake having powers so his family won't be disappointed. Using just a power drill to loosen screws around the house and soccer ball to throw at trees, he's able to make them think he's got super strength and flight. His grandfather figures it out, but doesn't tell anyone. Meanwhile at school, a group called Earth Protectors has been giving kids DVDs that actually brain wash them into committing crimes.
Scott has to save a person for his hero initiation, but rides his bike, because he can't fly. He rushes into a burning building after crossing over a fire fighter. He manages to save the woman inside, who actually works for Earth Protectors. After Jim learns the truth, Bronze Eagle swoops in to save the day, but they already have Scott's identity, which means they can track the rest of the family. With that information, they can set them up to be brainwashed and become criminals.
I just want to take a moment to discuss why Molly will grow up to be a super villain. At no point, does she exhibit heroic intent. She burns patio furniture, melts Scott's shoes to the asphalt, spends her time burning her dolls and just general havoc. They all know she's wilding out, but nobody does anything about it except Judy, and she only tells her not to melt the patio furniture again. Molly is going to kill someone, probably Scott.
It's a kids' movie. I don't think there's any deeper meaning on blackness. It just happened to star Black people, and that's okay too. Every Black film or movie doesn't need that, sometimes it's enough to just feel good. The message of the movie is right there, its a parable for kids. You don't need super powers to be a hero. Just do the right thing and be good to others.
I do enjoy that Scott doesn't get any powers at the end of the film, it's a nice subversion of a trope. Usually in stories like this the last person gets the best powers, especially in manga and anime. Scott doesn't have any powers, he's just a normal human at the end of the day. They spin it as he's the most powerful, because he can be anything he wants now, not just a hero. I think that's great, because normal isn't so bad, majority of humans are normal.
If you ever wanted to watch a super hero film with your kids, that isn't all about murder murder and kill kill, this is it. If you ever wanted to watch Sherman Hemsley have a one sided beef with Superman, then Up, Up, and Away is the film for you. Just a feel good film about Black people who happen to be superheroes.
You can check out some of my short stories at 12 AM Fiction or if you like vampires follow my web serial Exsanguinate and of course hear me on the Powerbomb Jutsu podcast if you enjoy pro wrestling.
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Damn classic right here
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