Coming 2 America is a royal sequel that is loyal to the 1988 classic!
1988’s Coming To America is of my favorite movies starring comedic icon and genius Eddie Murphy. The sequel we did not know that we needed is hitting Prime Video this weekend. Coming 2 America has a good amount of the original cast returning to the royal country of Zamunda. Eddie Murphy said that he had no plans on doing a sequel until Ryan Coogler pitched him a version where Michael B. Jordan would play his son looking for a wife. That pitch would then spark Eddie Murphy to create the ideal sequel that would be loyal to the original
Synopsis
Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York. Original cast favorites from Coming to America return including King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), Queen Lisa (Shari Headley), Cleo McDowell (John Amos), Maurice (Louie Anderson) and the motley barbershop crew.
In Coming 2 America, we finally get to spend more time in the beautiful land of Zamunda. This movie does not have the same charm as its predecessor but creates its own unique charm. There are plenty of Easter eggs and callbacks to the original that fans will truly enjoy. Many were frightened by the PG-13 rating that the jokes would be watered down, but that is not the case. There are plenty of sharp jokes and brilliant humor that carry on from the original. Political correctness is tackled in this movie as nothing is held back. Seeing Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall back together was surreal. The addition of Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and Wesley Snipes added to the movie’s overall entertainment value, and I would love to see Jones and Morgan join forces again in a future comedy.
Prince Akeem’s “bastard” son from Queens is played by one of Hollywood’s fastest rising young talents, Jermaine Fowler. Having a Hollywood newcomer playing Akeem’s son was a great choice since this movie is focused on Prince Akeem and his entire family. There are plenty of touching moments sprinkled in with the fun and humor that the entire family can enjoy together. Coming 2 America is a worthy sequel that you can watch for free on Prime Video!
Verdict
I give Coming 2 America an 8 out of 10 as it is full of cheese, nostalgia, laughter and tears. I hope this movie encourages and satisfies Eddie Murphy enough to deliver that Beverly Hills Cop sequel that we have all been waiting for.
Watch on Amazon Prime.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis. He is a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.