 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Boomerang
- Review Date: July 18, 2010
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 1992
Common Sense Media says
Murphy romcom is way too sexual for kids.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Boomerang is an Eddie Murphy romantic comedy that is focused on sex, but contains very little nudity. Characters discuss sex, ranging from ways to win girls to body parts, in nearly every scene. Some characters sleep with multiple partners, and other characters openly try to seduce one another. Aside from this, the movie is filled with fairly typical Eddie Murphy language, although most of the words are in reference to sex. The movie tries to be a bit more sophisticated than the usual Murphy vehicle, so it's light on toilet humor. It has some historical interest, as it comes from an era in which African-American movies were booming, but it's not for kids; it isn't likely to interest them, anyway.
What's the story?
Marcus Graham (Eddie Murphy) is a successful advertising executive at a big city cosmetics firm. He's a bachelor and enjoys great success with women, though he refuses to commit; the shape of their toes can be enough of a reason to dump them. Suddenly, a woman named Jacqueline Broyer (Robin Givens) is promoted and becomes his boss; Marcus is smitten with her, but she treats him roughly the same way he has always treated other women. Meanwhile, Marcus finds that he enjoys the company of another employee, Angela (Halle Berry). Can he renounce his womanizing ways and find true love?
Is it any good?
Boomerang is arguably more interesting in theory than it is in execution. It was part of a boom of African-American movies in the early 1990s, and Eddie Murphy clearly went out of his way to get in on this trend; he acquired an African-American director, Reginald Hudlin, who had made House Party (1990), and cast the movie almost entirely with African-Americans. It even features a cameo by pioneer filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles. Moreover, it was an attempt at a more sophisticated, grown-up comedy for Murphy, focusing on adults in a workplace, and on adult, sexual relationships.
The movie attempts a fascinating role-reversal, with a strong female character treating Murphy as a sex object, but whether it actually works is up for debate. Many found the movie too vulgar or shallow, but it does contain many interesting and/or funny sequences. Chris Rock, John Witherspoon, and David Alan Grier provide amusing support, and the adorable Halle Berry is the movie's soul.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the movie's sex talk. Characters talk about sex a lot, but does anyone actually learn anything useful?
Is Marcus a good person? What does he learn over the course of the story? Does he become a better person?
Is the movie a good representation of African-Americans? Of women? Or is it stereotypical?
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| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | Reginald Hudlin |
| Cast: | Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Robin Givens |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 116 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 1, 1992 |
| DVD release date: | September 24, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language and sexuality |
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