COMING 2 AMERICA
3 out of 5 stars
Welcome back to Zamunda! After more than 30 years, we are reunited with Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), Princess Lisa (Shari Headley), Semmi (Arsenio Hall), King Joffer (James Earl Jones), and a lot more from the original film. And speaking of the original – one of Murphy’s most beloved movies – this sequel is basically a rehashing of it. It has some funny moments, but director Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name) and a bunch of writers go the more predictable path in bringing back most of the characters (mainly Murphy and Hall disguised in dress up) from 1988 and adding nothing fresh to the mix. The true king of Coming 2 America is nostalgia.
Akeem goes from Prince to King while discovering he has a son (Jermaine Fowler) in Queens after a wild night with Mary (Leslie Jones) on their last trip to America. The King of Zamunda has to get the Bastard of Queens prepared to be Prince of Zamunda. This means the world to King Akeem as he has three daughters, and because of hundreds of years of tradition, a King needs a son to be his heir. That obviously doesn’t sit well with his oldest daughter, Meeks (Kiki Layne), as she’s more than capable of ruling once he’s gone. This is probably a good time to mention that Brewer and team bow to being progressive throughout the movie. At least that’s something new.
Coming 2 America never really stood a chance in matching its predecessor, but its playing it safe, PG-13 story being a bit stale does it no favors. At the same time, it’s entertaining enough because of our love for the characters, their merriment, and those spectacular costumes. When it comes to new additions, the best is Wesley Snipes. He plays General Izzi who loves to make an entrance and loves even more to marry off his kids. Murphy and Hall are great, and actually this could’ve used more Murphy as he weirdly becomes a supporting player rather than the MVP he is.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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