Boomerang

A few things seems weird about the IMDb reviews of this movie, to bring it down to a 5.4 ratings. 1. It's funny how a lot of reviewers remember walking out of the theaters, when they wrote their reviews 12...15...17 years after the movie was released. Like it was a personal vendetta against Eddie Murphy and the Hudlin brothers. 2. The movie, in 1992, was actually quite popular and didn't get panned by critics. So, it's funny to see so many 1 ratings, and people reviewing it as if it were the worst movie ever made. 3. I've always heard the rumors (and witnessed it myself) that IMDb reviewers don't seem to like popular black movies or TV shows. Seems like trolls, from entities other than those that make black productions, want to discourage potential viewers from seeing something other than their own creations.

My review: A very good rom-com with a great cast of old favorites and legends.

After a terrible 1991 loanout to Hollywood Pictures for the weak comedy "The Distinguished Gentleman", Eddie Murphy returned to Paramount the following year and gave one of his all time best and funniest performances in this romantic comedy with a twist. Murphy portrays Marcus Graham, a New York advertising executive who is known by many people throughout New York for being a notorious player, a man who will date a woman, get her into bed by the end of the first date, judge her by the lovemaking and then dump her. Marcus is quite happy with having this rather low lifestyle and way of treating women. He goes around proudly reporting the previous night's results each morning to his friends (David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence). One day, an attractive young woman (Robin Givens) becomes the advertising company's new boss. Marcus naturally feels that she will be his next target for romantic using and gets more than he ever bargained for when she winds up being the first woman ever who can see through his tricks and try to get back at him for it (hence the title). Murphy is absolutely hilarious in his role as a player who gradually learns to get lessons in treating women right and Halle Berry has a early leading film part as another work colleague who eventually comes between the Murphy/Givens love affair. Several other popular character actors and actresses make appearances here too.

One of Eddie Murphy's best performances in one of his least seen films was the 1992 winner BOOMERANG. This smart and sophisticated romantic comedy stars Eddie as Marcus Graham, a womanizing advertising executive who loves the thrill of the chase where women are concerned, but once he has completed the chase, he is ready to move on. His sexual exploits have made him the center of his circle of friends (Martin Lawrence, a paranoid racist, and David Alan Grier, an insecure milquetoast)who live vicariously through him and admire his style as the ultimate player. Everything changes for Marcus when he acquires a new boss named Jacqueline (Robin Givens), Marcus is enamored of Jacqueline, but is completely thrown by the fact that Jacqueline is a female version of himself, a player who avoids commitment and uses Marcus when it is convenient for her. Throw into the mix another co-worker of Marcus named Angela (Halle Berry) who is nuts about him, but he doesn't know she's alive. Everything works here and it is so refreshing to see a movie with a predominately black cast where the characters are people with brains and real jobs. Murphy exudes mass amounts of sex appeal in one of his best roles and Halle Berry, though allegedly playing a plain Jane, just couldn't come off that way if she tried. There are some wonderful comic bits contributed along the way by Grace Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Tisha Campbell, and the legendary Eartha Kitt, memorable as an aging cosmetics queen with the hots for Marcus. A winning and original take on the Battle of the Sexes that is entertaining from start to finish.

Somewhere in the realms of time i remember seeing Boomerang and not being that impressed by it. I decided to give it another rewatch and still come to the same conclusion, this is a poor Eddie Murphy film. The frustrating thing is this had the potential to be a good, funny film. It has an amazing cast including not only Murphy, but Robin Givens, Halle Berry, Grace Jones and Martin Lawrence. The problem with the film is it is directed flatly giving the whole look and feel of a tv sitcom. The script is weak and unfunny and the film is far too long at nearly 2 hours long. The cast do there best with the weak script but cannot salvage the film. Lawrence is completley wasted in a supporting role. Ultimately Boomerang feels like a film where Murphy called the shots rather than the director and at the height of Murphys ego and popularity someone should have reigned him in. Boomerang is watchable but a mean spirited film and perhaps should only be viewed the once.

Reginald Hudlins Boomerang is probably Eddie Murphy last good film to date. In this story of a marketing executive who is also a player. Murphy is great in this role, funny and full of hilarious one-liners. The film is written well, very funny, direction is decent and acting is good for the most part. Although Givens is not the best female lead, Halle Berry was great in her role. Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock were absolutely hilarious, and David Alan Grier was good as well. The film is not to be taken to seriously, and although not at the caliber of Murphy favs of mine "coming to America" and " beverly hills cop", Boomerang is still a must-see for any Eddie Murphy fan. 8/10