Movie Review
Boomerang (1992)
Reginald Hudlin’s comedy Boomerang (1992) is certainly one of the most popular films of the 1990’s and is considered one of Eddie Murphy’s greatest performances ever. The characters have been presented by Hudlin in such a manner that they stick to the viewer’s memory for years. Such thought provoking and creative comedies do make a positive impact on our imagination and influence our ideas in some way or the other. The film is not only a good entertainer but has been productive in providing social and cultural awareness to the local society Personally, the attribute which I liked the most about Boomerang was the positive impact it tries to create on the society through the central characters of Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
The film focuses on the central character of Eddie Murphy as Marcus Graham, who is a male chauvinist or to be precise a “womanizer”. But things take a sudden change when he meets his new boss Jacqueline Broyer, which is played by Robin Givens, as she seems to be a male version of him and treats Marcus in the same manner as he used to treat other woman. That’s where the movie becomes interesting and the characters of Martin Lawrence and Halle Barry are introduced. Lawrence’s performance in particular was the show stealer and he made his presence fell in each and every scene.
The success of Boomerang as an entertaining or rather bone tickling comedy does prove that people love watching comedy movies along with an engaging storyline. Also, a blend of thrill and excitement does enhance the fun within the movie. The Viewer while watching the movie gets indulged in the movie and he associates himself with the character of the movie. The portrayal of serious matters such as corporate affairs and business rivalry in a funny way is at times a challenge for the director but he has certainly done well to create a balance between comedy and drama. The core aspect of the film has been to portray the critical aspects of the corporate world but rather in a light hearted and modest way. One of the supporting ingredients of Boomerang was its smoothly paced soundtrack which adds an adrenaline rush to the listener with a strong focus on quality. The soundtrack is totally different from the previous movies of Reginald Hudlin as it varies consistently depending on the situation of the movie and that is what adds to the brilliance of the movie.
The characters played by Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence are the backbone of the movie and their performances are able to mould the storyline of the movie. One of the strongest themes of this movie are developing and maintaining a relationship among individuals and this has been a very important factor in the success of this movie. The film has also done well to focus on the role of women in the corporate world and reflects that when the need arises, they can take an unconventional approach to achieve success. Although the movie did have a lot of emphasis on gender dynamics, human co ordination and corporate rivalry but it does portray that how all these concepts are interrelated to each other in a great manner. For instance, the film connects the characters of Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Halle Barry and Robin Givens in a very interesting manner and shows how their traits and attributes are interconnected with each other. Along with that, it has a special emphasis on emotional and ethical conflicts, social and cultural issues and business issues which have a fatal impact on their lives from different perspectives.
Hudlin’s also tries to expose the hidden matters of the corporate world but in more of a sarcastic manner and that’s what make the movie more interesting. Influential factors such as Love, Hatred, Jealousy and romance are the cornerstone of this movie and the splendid cinematography along with funny and extremely witty dialogues add to the success of this movie. It is good to see that no action or any special effects were used in the movie as they require a very high intensity level and they need a strong focus and along with it could require several retakes. This in turn does have a negative effect on a movie which is made on a relatively low budget and which primarily focuses on strong dialogues and indulging storylines.
Creative and innovative storylines have certainly given the film industry a new dimension and they have certainly revitalized and transformed it to a huge extent and directors like Hudlin have done well to portray the idea in a highly positive way. Hudlin’s excellent direction along with excellent performances from the cast and equally important contribution of the supporting crew have been the primary reason that the film is still considered a cult classic and has turned actors like Halle Barry and Eddie Murphy into global superstars.
References
IMDB. IMDB. 8 August 2005. 28 Novemeber 2013 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103859/>.
Pristin, Terry. ""Batman Keeps Grip on First Over the Fourth : Movies: The Warner Bros. release takes in an estimated $14.6 million at the box office. New releases 'A League of Their Own' and 'Boomerang' do nearly as well."." The Los Angeles Times 7 June 1997.
