Boomerang (1992) * * *

Directed by:  Reginald Hudlin

Starring:  Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones, Chris Rock, Geoffrey Holder, Lela Rochon, John Witherspoon, Eartha Kitt

To Marcus Graham (Murphy), women are disposable, so he can kick one to the curb due to one slight imperfection because there are plenty more where that came from.    He soon meets his match in Jacqueline (Givens), his new boss at the cosmetics conglomerate where he holds down a high-paying, high-profile job.   She likes him, sleeps with him, halfheartedly promises to call, and leaves him high and dry.   Marcus is hurt, not at all understanding the irony of the situation.    He may even be in love with Jacqueline, or is he just enjoying the challenge?   

Boomerang was a comeback of sorts for Eddie Murphy.   After a string of late 80's-early 90's flops, he returned with energy and good humor in Boomerang.    He got to show us his acting chops a little too.    We always knew he was a comedic genius, but here we see the tender side of him, and an ability to play a likable, flawed romantic leading man.    Even though Marcus is leading these women on, we still can't help but feel a little sorry for him when Jacqueline is messing with his head or when he can't see love right in front of him in Angela (Berry), who works with Marcus and is a sweet girl with a lot of heart.    Jacqueline doesn't have an agenda, nor is she getting revenge on Marcus in the name of all spurned women.    She is doing what comes naturally to her, and thinks of her own needs before others' needs.

There are some funny subplots to Boomerang, including an advertisement director (Holder) who makes the most inappropriate of ads for the company's new perfume line, a spoiled, diva company spokes model (Jones), and Marcus' friends Tyler and Gerard (Lawrence and Grier), who wish they had even one-quarter of the success with women that Marcus does.   We are also treated to a Thanksgiving dinner with Gerard's cheerfully vulgar parents.  And let's not forget the company's aging founder (Kitt) who makes it her mission to bed Marcus. 

Even though we know how things will turn out long before the characters have, Boomerang gives us a kinder, gentler Murphy who can grow and learn from his mistakes and be a better person in the long run.   The humor comes naturally from the characters, and believe it or not, there is some warmth here.    You wouldn't think there would be much in a movie about a player who gets the tables turned on him, but there you go.