# Sci Fi Movie from the 80s, can't remember title

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 13, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560 "2008-11-13T18:08:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560/1 "2008-11-13T18:08:13Z")

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So, this has been bugging me for a really long time:

I’ve been trying to remember the name of a sci fi movie from the 80s. There probably isn’t enough information here to ID it, but I’ve seen this board accomplish wonders in the past. The movie begins set in either the near future or present day. The plot centers around a suit of mechanical armor that is stored in a rotating cylinder in the center of this modern, shiny lab. Through some plot-device, the main wearer of the suit is transported into the future some meaningful amount of time (maybe 20 years). I have this image of him back in the lab - which is now horribly derelict - manually pulling the now rusting cylinder open so that he can get the armor and go off and save the day.

Does this ring any bells, for anyone? I was really young when I saw it on TV and sadly have no idea who might have been in it.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560/2 "2008-11-14T00:41:44Z")

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Was the hero black? The only thing I can think of is the TV pilot **M.A.N.T.I.S.** and the series that followed. But I never saw any episodes, so I don’t know if they had one like you describe. But it _did_ involve a crippled guy who build a suit of exo-armor that made himma superhero a la Iron Man:

> **[M.A.N.T.I.S. (TV Movie 1994) ⭐ 5.7 | Action, Crime, Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110414/)**
>
> 1h 35m

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**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560/3 "2008-11-14T01:38:51Z")

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> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Was the hero black? The only thing I can think of is the TV pilot **M.A.N.T.I.S.** and the series that followed. But I never saw any episodes, so I don’t know if they had one like you describe. But it _did_ involve a crippled guy who build a suit of exo-armor that made himma superhero a la Iron Man:
> 
> [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110414/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110414/)

I don’t think that is it… I can’t find any visuals from the show so it’s hard to say.

I’ll poke around some more. thanks for trying,

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**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-movie-from-the-80s-cant-remember-title/472560/4 "2008-11-14T02:25:08Z")

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I googled “armor” and “time travel” and a couple other things, and found [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094152/).

I’ve never seen it, and don’t know if it fits your plot details. Just a WAG.

Thanks,  
thwartme