Boomerang

Washington Post Hal Hinson

Boomerang is the funniest, most sophisticated movie of Eddie Murphy's career; it's a sleek, dexterous satire, with a slew of rich comic performances that remind us of everything we loved about Murphy in the first place.

Washington Post Joe Brown

The movie benefits from a stylish, high-gloss look, a hit-filled soundtrack and up-to-the-minute dialogue (there's even a Korean shop-owner joke) that feels winningly off the cuff.

Baltimore Sun Stephen Hunter

The movie then becomes a story of salvation: how Murphy's Marcus, through the love of a better woman (Halle Berry) manages to rediscover both his decency and his humanity. And yet, pretty much, it stays funny. [01 Jul 1992]

Chicago Tribune Dave Kehr

Boomerang, a sleek, confident and very funny urban comedy that may not entirely overcome Murphy's more discomfiting tendencies, but at least manages to put them to good use. [01 Jul 1992]

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The real surprise of the movie is Eddie Murphy, who finds his character and stays with him.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

The general idea is to exploit a certain amount of role reversal, and Reginald Hudlin, who directed "House Party," does a fairly good job of making this fun.

Portland Oregonian Ted Mahar

It is thoughtful and well enough acted throughout. [03 Jul 1992]

Boston Globe Jay Carr

The result is a megabudget "House Party" -- amiable, colorful, filled with glamour and style. [01 Jul 1992]

TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)

More interesting than entertaining and too long by far.

Empire lloyd Bradley

This is cornily predictable stuff, but it raises itself on a number of counts, with Murphy's transformation from a self-assured cocksman to bewildered, lovesick drip being approached with greater gusto than might be expected.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

The pace is a little too languid, and the vulgarity a little too frequent, for the movie to work as intended.

The New York Times Janet Maslin

The funniest parts of this uneven, ostentatiously upscale comedy are those that find Mr. Murphy's Marcus adopting the behavior of a sexually insecure woman.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Murphy seems committed to pushing his hostile vision, and that in itself is interesting. [01 Jul 1992]

USA Today Mike Clark

The movie, though, is more of the same: another current comedy with want-to-see elements that fails to deliver the goods. [01 Jul 1992]

Variety Lawrence Cohn

The film might have worked if the thoroughly selfish characters were striving after something.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

What Murphy's doing isn't acting; it's masturbation.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Occasionally, Murphy cuts loose with an ad-libbed riff that's almost funny, but then it's back to the slim-fast plot and the stick-on crudities. [03 Jul 1992]

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A film that is more listless than funny and could surely use some of the energy that animated both Art Buchwald and Paramount Pictures in the lawsuit surrounding authorship of [Eddie Murphy]'s 1988 "Coming to America." [01 Jul 1992]

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

It's not even funny. Nor does it contain half the wit or charm as the old Doris Day sex comedies it so resembles.