Blankman, Blankman, Yeah That’s Darryl!

Am I the only person in the chat that have only seen the movie Blankman as an adult? How was this movie released in 1994 but yet the first time I’m seeing it is in 2022 a whole 28 years later? Now I might be extremely decades late to the Blankman party but I blame the black community for not doing a good job of putting me on as a kid.

If you’re like me and haven’t seen this movie or if you’ve seen it before and it’s been years since the last time you watched it. Please my friends watch Blankman! The movie is hilarious, innovative and a heap of fun. If you are a parent, guardian, or have any children you care about please have them watch this movie in full. More than being a funny superhero comedy this movie captures the essence of black people’s struggles and constant overcoming. (Y’all know how black people do, always overcoming)

For those in the back that haven’t seen Blankman yet, it’s about a brainy but naive nerd named Darryl Walker played by actor, writer and producer Damon Wayans. After the death of his grandmother, Darryl decides he wants to be a part of keeping his community and neighborhood safe; Because Darryl is so brilliant he builds all types of gadgets for himself and his family to use in their everyday lives. One day he makes a bulletproof suit that he begins to wear on his adventures of stopping crime in his impoverished neighborhood with his brother Kevin as his sidekick.

Blankman was written by Damon Wayans and J.F. Lawton this movie is filled with more than a bunch of hilarious moments. It explores the brotherly bond between Darryl and Kevin. It was great to watch a movie where the main character was a black nerd living in the ”hood” usually men coming up in neglected neighborhoods in America do what most Americans do turn to a life of crime of some sort. The most intelligent young black boys and black men will abandon who they are innately to not only survive their circumstances but to fit in them. It’s a sad cycle that happens within black communities around America due to the lack of opportunity for black men, women, and children; but this movie celebrates the diversity within black men; you don’t have to be who the world tells you to be, you can be intelligent, a nerd and still get the girl; still make a difference for the people around you and your community.

Blankman is also a very good watch because it reminds me a lot of the Black Panther movement. As we’re coming out of a pandemic, The midterms are coming up for politicians, racism is heavily amidst, and inflation is bringing a wider gap between the rich and the poor; no one but our own can save us. I love that just like the Black Panther movement, Blankman took it upon himself to enrich his community. He didn’t wait for a handout he used the resources available to him and that is a reoccurring lesson for black people in every generation.