Coming 2 America

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It’s been 33 years since pampered African Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) first came to America, and in 2021, he will return.

King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones) is getting older, and as he prepares his son Akeem to take his place, he reveals that he has tracked down Akeem’s bastard American son, a son Akeem didn’t know he had, a little souvenir from that trip to Queens more than thirty years ago. Akeem and Lisa (Shari Headley) have three daughters, but women can’t inherit the throne in Zamunda. Fearing instability upon his passing, particularly from General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), King Joffer urges Akeem to go to America and bring home his first-born male heir in order to keep their kingdom peaceful.

As you can imagine, learning that you’re a prince is a bit of surprise, and it’s a bit of a culture shock when Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler) does indeed return to the palace with the dad he never knew, with Mom Mary (Leslie Jones) and Uncle Reem (Tracy Morgan) in tow to add a little…flavour to the royal proceedings. Akeem has selected a bride for his son, the alluring and diplomatically wise choice, Bopoto, daughter of General Izzi. But it is the palace groomer Mirembe (Nomzamo Mbatha) who catches Lavelle’s eye. As every man becomes his father, Akeem finds himself in the position of forbidding Lavelle’s love match and enforcing the political one. Akeem was supposed to be different when he was king but it looks like he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps, for better of worse.

This movie isn’t a remake but it’s awfully close, following the events of the first film like they’re identical twins, even repeating a lot of the same jokes. Murphy reassembles the entire team and there’s no denying this sequel is an extreme act of fan service and that Eddie Murphy himself is having a grand old time reliving his youth and revisiting a pivotal time in his life and career. The result is surprisingly watchable. Is it great? No. But it’s fun and familiar improving on the first, delivering a more modern and more quickly paced comedy. Murphy and director Craig Brewer work well together, but since both are mega fans of the first film, they’re content to coast on its fumes. Ultimately Coming 2 America is 110 minutes devoted to remembering how great Coming To America was. It’s a cast reunion with some great costumes and some fun cameos. It’s a celebration 33 years in the making and if you were a fan of the first, you’re walking away happy.

17 thoughts on “Coming 2 America”

  2. Birgit

    It looks like a fun comedy to while away an evening and enjoy laughing…that’s about it. I enjoyed listening to your review of this film and had to look up who Rick Ross is..a Rap person and then I looked up his “home”..Holy Smokeadoodles! Talk about ostentatious! It has multiple wings and a huge pool. I wonder, if in 50 years, this home will be on Youtube as a deserted home that people go through showing that time was not kind to the home with bats living in the attic etc…(ever see the youtube videos of Vincente Minelli’s home and Liberace? It is sad to see actually.). By the way, I love your hair Jay. Love the colour…any shade of blue I love.

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  4. Liz A.

    I wasn’t a great fan of the original, but it was my high school band’s favorite movie during my junior and senior years. That is, any time we had a free day, someone pulled out the TV and VCR (yep, I’m old), and this movie was played. (My freshman and sophomore years, the movie was The Terminator.)

    I won’t seek this out, but I’ll probably watch it if I stumble upon it and am in the right mood.

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    1. rdfranciswriter

      For me, it’s the characters and make-up. I love the barbershop scene. The preachers revival. Some work better than others, but even when you “know,” it’s still fun. But the older Jewish man, really threw me. Eddie is good with the make-up, that’s for sure. The Krumps movie (title escapes me), again, the dinner scene with Eddie as “everyone.” Fun stuff. The rest, eh.

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  5. Tom

    Lol I’ve still got the original DVD sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I had told myself I was going to catch up with it finally prior to 2 coming out, and welp. There went that. I suck.

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  10. selizabryangmailcom

    Is Aresenio Hall revealed as a vampire, though? ‘Cause doesn’t he look more or less almost the same as over 30 years ago, lol ??!!

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  11. Thomas Pickard

    I was a fan of the first one, but I was bored. It seemed like they were trying to hard, the first one was effortless. It was heart breaking, because I love Arsenio hall and Eddie Murphy. For me, this movie was a flop, sorry.

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  12. rdfranciswriter

    Thanks for this. Was wondering about it. And I know you do all the Netflix, HBO Max, Apple stuff and I prefer an indie-review perspective than a commercial one.

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  13. rdfranciswriter

    I’d have to add that this sounds like Phantasm II, The Evil Dead, Escape from L.A., etc., where it is a case of just stick with what hit before — and don’t break new ground with any boat rockin’.

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