BOOMERANG had Eddie Murphy trying to slide into a sort of Cary Grantish suave type of romantic comedy character only to have the tony upgrade downgraded by too much lazy reliance on trash-talk humor, and carrying on what would have worked better as a 90-minute situation into a draggy 117 minute flat tire. Some chuckles, not enough to salvage the crass stuff; it doesn’t hold up well. You don’t break stereotypes by inhabiting them. From 1992, dovetailing with another Eddie escapade as The Distinguished Gentleman.

NYC ad exec ‘Marcus Graham’ (Murphy, 30) revels in his ‘player’ lifestyle, his chauvinism egged on by envious pals. Then a choice must be made between the wrong girl and the right one: rocket science is not required to divine where & how this player’s playing will play out. Yawn.

Life’s hard choices

The sex appeal is provided by Robin Givens (27, as the wrong babe, doing a good job with it), Halle Berry (25, the keeper, getting a boost from this part), Grace Jones (43, kidding herself by being herself), Eartha Kitt (64, gamely doing her panther purr thing) and Lela Rochon (27, welcome, but briefly there).

The tiresome trash talk is provided by Eddie (unconvincing unless you’re smitten by smug), David Alan Grier (35, best in the man crew by far), Martin Lawrence (26, no thanx, about as charming as a horny dog), and Chris Rock (26, elbowing in).

Made for $42,000,000, directed by Reginald Hudlin (House Party, more fun to attend), scripted by Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield (SNL writers who worked on five Murphy pictures, including the once & still enjoyable Coming To America), the $70,100,000 US take (18th in ’92) was part of a planetary haul of $131,052,000.

Spiff costume design from Francine Jamison-Tanchuck. In the cast are Geoffrey Holder, Tisha Campbell, John Witherspoon (extra coarse), Bebe Drake and Melvin Van Peebles.

                          The Tuxtables, sons’a Bill