Boomerang

“Eddie Murphy’s iconic hotshot advertising executive Marcus Graham made Boomerang a sexy comedy hit, still beloved today. Graham may be a success in his industry, but he’s also an insatiable womanizer. He’s also impossibly prepared for his new boss, Jacqueline (Robin Givens) – nothing more or less than a female version of Marcus in terms of all things romantic. Reginald Hudlin (House Party) directs a fantastic all-star cast that includes Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, John Witherspoon, Tisha Campbell and Melvin Van Peebles.”

For the first time on Blu-ray, this Eddie Murphy comedy from the 90s is now available to own with this 30^th anniversary release from Paramount. At the peak of his career, Eddie Murphy was churning out comedies left and right, with many of his classics continuing to endure to this day. Despite my enjoyment of his comedy and the majority of roles he plays, Boomerang was one of the films that was not on my radar, definitely at the time because I was just a kid, but even more so as an adult; it didn’t have the same appeal as Beverly Hills Cop or Coming to America. Despite that, I was anxious to take my first look at this film, which features some really great actors and comedians.

Eddie Murphy stars as Marcus, a successful advertising executive who is known for being a ladies’ man, doing whatever it takes, playing whatever role he can to score, then talking about his exploits with his best friends, Tyler (Martin Lawrence) and Gerard (David Alan Grier). When a merger between his company and another lands Jacqueline (Robin Givens), basically a female version of him, the job Marcus wanted, Marcus takes it upon himself to battle it out and try to seduce her into submission. While the first half of the film very much takes on a chauvinistic outlook, and in a way almost celebrates it, the second half of the film brings in some humanity to the characters, when Marcus begins to feel what all the women he’s treated poorly felt like, and he discovers something real in a place he didn’t expect.

Overall, the film really does feel very unbalanced. While something like this may not be made today, it’s not the objectifying of women and viewing them as something to be conquered by any means possible, because as unsettling as that is, there is usually a quicker turn around for the main character to ‘see the light’ as it were, and begin to right his ways. It’s not just the Marcus character who is guilty of this, but basically all the male characters in the film, perhaps save David Alan Grier, and he’s unceremoniously punished for being ‘the good guy’. The film also hosts some rather odd sound effects that only add to the view of this as entirely unbalanced. Dogs barking whenever Marcus sees someone he wants to possess are especially unsettling, as is some strange clock ticking when he’s forced to wait for Jacqueline’s phone call. These weird bits of audio aren’t consistent and feel just plain out of place. While the tone of the film may be a bit outdated for the climate of society today, Eddie Murphy’s character does go through a change, although it takes a bit of time. This last half of the film feels much more structured with a purpose in sight, with a better pacing than the first half.

Although the film didn’t start off on a strong note for me, by the ending, I was enjoying every bit of it, largely in part because of Halle Berry. Her charm and beauty are infectious in every scene she’s in, and her role becomes much larger as the film progresses. There are also some great sequences between Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, and David Alan Grier that help make the film so funny.

Video

Boomerang is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. It doesn’t look like any additional processes were employed to bring a better picture to the Blu-ray format, but the upscaling gives a good high definition picture, complete with high detail, some decent vibrant and natural coloring. Grain can be heavy at times, but it’s kept at a manageable level and mostly consistent throughout. Overall, a nice transfer and best of all now available in HD.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds very good, with a natural balance between the surrounds and center channel. Some of those strange audio moments I mentioned, the dogs barking, the clock ticking, really surprise you with how full the sound feels. Dialogue is clear and concise through the center channel, with a strong and diverse score.

Special Features

The disc comes with a Digital Code. There are no new features on this disc, but thankfully Paramount has included the legacy content from previous format releases. These include:

• Commentary by director Reginal Hudlin
• Extended and Deleted Scenes with Director’s Commentary

First time viewer of Boomerang and fan of Eddie Murphy, I can honestly say by the time it was over I really enjoyed the film. Although there is nothing special about this 30^th anniversary, the fact that it’s released on HD and on physical media is about all fans of the film can ask for. This one is out now, and with a pretty good initial price point, it’s worth picking up and checking out.