In 1988, Paramount Pictures screened a movie for the press. And the journalists present in the theater said the film sucked! Based on that judgment, the studio cancelled succeeding exhibitions, crossed its fingers, and released the flick.
Paramount, which expected a failure, got a stunning surprise. The motion picture ruled the box office. Even the critics gave it a passable mark. That movie — the one that surpassed expectations — was entitled Coming to America.
But, despite the movie’s success, the studio did not immediately produce a sequel. Coming to America remained as a one-off — until now.
Coming 2 America now streams in Amazon Prime.
Synopsis
In the sequel, we see Eddie Murphy play the role of Prince Akeem again, the heir to the throne of Zamunda. He’s now married to Liza, has three daughters, and lives in his kingdom. Everything is perfect except that General Izzi, the leader of militaristic Nextdoria, threatens to wage war when Akeem’s father, i.e., King Joffer, dies. General Izzi sees Akeem’s lack of a male heir as a weakness.
Faith however had other plans. Akeem, as it turned out, had a bastard son in Queens. (A product of a drug induced one-night stand with Leslie Jones.)
And so, Akeem goes back to the United States to bring back his illegitimate son.
Evaluation
Akeem’s trip back to the U.S. allows us to witness Eddie Murphy and Arsenio’s comedic talents. They once again play multiple roles.
With the help of prosthetics and make-up, you get to see them reprise their roles as barbers, preachers, and witch doctors. Watching them play different characters in one movie is such a treat.
Also, one feels nostalgia when seeing familiar characters like Liza McDowell, King Jaffe Joffer, and Cleo McDowell. It’s too bad that Eriq La Salle decided not to come back as Darryl Jenks, the inheritor of the Soul Glo empire.
But, aside from the points above, there’s nothing else to like about Coming 2 America.
The movie feels like a straight to video production. The film’s pace feels hurried and forced. The motion picture’s story uses a hackneyed plot. The ending is predictable.
Even the presence of new actors like Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Morgan Freeman isn’t enough to salvage the movie.
As an aside though, Wesley Snipes brings it in this film. He’s hilarious as General Izzi. It’s such a shame that he had limited screen time. Perhaps Mr. Snipes can play the role again in a solo outing.
Verdict
Coming 2 America is the sequel that we didn’t need. One could even say that it’s not a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, considered as a “milestone in black films.” (For more about this, please read Amber Ferguson’s Washington Post article entitled “Before Wakanda, there was Zamunda: Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming to America’ turns 30”)
The sequel will make you laugh. It will entertain. But, a few hours after, your recollection of the same will go poof.
Rating: 2
1 – Don’t bother
2 – Rerun material
3 – Watch if you’re bored
4 – Entertaining, but not a must-see
5 – Watch now!
Playing the Point 