Blankman 1994

Darryl Walker, Damon Wayans and Kevin Walker, David Alan Grier, grew up as Batman fans in a rough neighborhood and have since carved out very different lives. Darryl is a clumsy, inventive repairman whose head is full of gadgets, while Kevin works as a sharp-eyed tabloid news cameraman, dreaming of a serious investigative piece rather than glossy celebrity scoops. They still live with their grandmother, Lynne Thigpen Grandmother Walker, a steadfast supporter of Alderman Marvin Harris, Christopher Lawford, a neighborhood politician campaigning for mayor on an anti-corruption platform. Kevin, meanwhile, longs to break away from his boss’s sensationalist briefings and to expose the darker corners of the city, especially mobster Michael “The Suit” Minelli, Jon Polito, whose shadow looms over everything. Kevin’s boss, Larry Stone, Jason Alexander, thrives on lurid headlines and quietly stands in the way of Kevin’s more honorable ambitions.

Darryl’s optimism is contagious but naive about inner-city realities—such as the crackhouse next door—yet his brilliance as an inventor shines through. He constructs a mobile robot helper named J-5 and other quirky devices, hinting that he could do real good if given the chance. The turning point comes when Harris earns public praise by refusing a bribe from Minelli, and tragedy follows: Grandma Walker is murdered by Sammy the Blade, Nick Corello, at Harris’s campaign headquarters. The family is shaken to its core, and Darryl’s view of the world shifts from disbelief to urgency. He begins to intervene in crime, saving an elderly transit passenger from a mugging, but his bold, street-level heroism backfires as he storms a neighboring crackhouse to confront its gang.

Inspired by a desire to protect his community, Darryl embraces the vigilante life, using his technical know-how to fashion weapons and gadgets—most notably a way to render ordinary clothing bulletproof—launching a one-man crusade that irks Kevin, who fears his brother is crossing a dangerous line. After a close call that nearly leaves him dead, Darryl is arrested by the very police who once mocked him, simply for insisting on seeing the police commissioner. Kevin, concerned but loyal, arranges for him to see a psychiatrist, hoping to untangle the fantasy from the reality. The session doesn’t go as planned: Darryl denies being a superhero and blames Kevin, while the psychiatrist analyzes their relationship. Kevin soon shifts his stance, deciding to support what he believes is Darryl’s coping mechanism—channeling it into a neighborhood-watch mindset rather than a lone crusade.

The turning point arrives when a pregnant woman is trapped in an elevator. Darryl suits up as his alter-ego, and, after delivering the baby, he’s surrounded by reporters and the crowd. When asked his name, he freezes; Kevin steps in and blurts out “Blankman,” and the nickname sticks. The fame helps him protect more people and slowly earns him the respect of the town, though it also makes him a figure of skeptical hope. A romantic thread weaves in as Kimberly Jonz, Robin Givens, a fellow reporter, becomes intrigued by Blankman’s work. She wants an interview and, to get close, she agrees to wear a carnation during their early encounter. Their late-night visit to Darryl’s secret hideout—the “Blank Station,” an old subway depot packed with his inventions—becomes a turning point: Kimberly’s piece reveals how he started after Grandma Walker’s death, and her admiration blossoms into affection, even as Darryl panics when he finds himself unable to control his own body in the moment.

Meanwhile, Harris wants to honor Blankman and a larger community effort, but Minelli’s racketeering finally collides with the city’s fragile balance. Minelli’s men seize the mayor during a bank raid, and the bombs threaten to tear the city apart. The crowd’s faith in Blankman falters as he and Kevin struggle to save lives; the pair are captured, placed in a water tank, and threatened with a deadly timer. In a desperate turn, Blankman calls on J-5 to rescue them, only to have the heroic machine destroyed by the explosion that follows. Grief and anger drive Darryl to seek vengeance, but the two partners’ bond remains intact as they reassess their path.

The pursuit leads to Minelli’s factory hideout for a last battle. Other Guy—the persona Kevin adopts when the costume isn’t bulletproof—is briefly overconfident and is wounded, underscoring the perils of their double lives. Blankman overcomes the odds, dispatching Minelli’s goons with electrified “newchucks” and jet-powered roller blades in a showy, kinetic showdown that ends with Minelli in police custody. The city cheers; Harris bestows the Mayor Harris Award for outstanding community service, and Other Guy gets a blank T-shirt—much to his disgust—while Blankman is celebrated as a true local hero. After the ceremony, Kevin introduces Kimberly to Darryl, and she teases him with a pretend purse-snatcher to test whether he’s truly Blankman. He stumbles, blushes, and—true to the story’s arc—Kimberly reveals that she already knew his secret and shares a playful kiss, sealing a hard-won romance. The film closes with a banner reading, We Love You Blankman and Other Guy, a final nod to the unlikely duo who turned their neighborhood’s struggles into a source of hope and humor.