It was someone else who wanted to watch it more than I did, having seen Alan Davies mention it on Q.I., but the description I read certainly sounded interesting, so I watched as well. Basically The Brother (Terminator 2: Judgement Day's Joe Morton) is an alien from outer space who lands in the upper harbour of New York City, he is an escaped slave who looks just like any normal black man, in rags like a tramp. Also, he is unable to talk, so ending up in Harlem (which feels like the lower side) he makes some friends in a bar owner and some of the regulars. But they also discover his secret power, from his hands he creates a ray of light, and this enables him to fix anything put in front of him, such as wounds, televisions, arcade machines, and fruit machines. So while the mute hero makes money doing this "mending" job and empathises people with his inability to talk, he is unaware that two bounty hunters from his home planet have come to Earth to take him back. There is also some story where he takes his eye out to show drug dealers in action and have someone do something about it, and by the end he has I guess accepted his new environment. Also starring Daryl Edwards as Fly, Steve James as Odell, Leonard Jackson as Smokey, Bill Cobbs as Walter, Maggie Renzi as Noreen, Tom Wright as Sam, Renn Woods as Bernice and Reggie Rock Bythewood as Rickey. Morton makes his character that never utters one word likable, he makes everyone around him feel good, the healing power moments are like something out of E.T., and this is supposedly meant to show realistic situations put in front of this alien, if it had some more spice added it would be a good watch, but it's a pretty average science-fiction satire. Okay!
Review of The Brother from Another Planet
