Photo Credit: imdb.com
This month, the sequel to the 1988 classic starring Eddie Murphy, Coming to America, was released. Originally slated for a theatrical release in December, Coming 2 America, instead came on the streaming service, Amazon Prime Video.
The sequel follows now-King Akeem Joffer of Zamunda, a role reprised by Murphy, as he sets out to find his long-lost son that he previously didn’t know about (played by Jermaine Fowler), before he is to be assassinated by a rival kingdom. So, more than 30 years after the first movie, does this sequel satisfy? Well, in my opinion, yes, it definitely does.
The humor in this movie isn’t as fresh as the first film (as is the case with most sequels to comedy movies), but it is still a very funny movie. Murphy and Arsenio Hall both return not only as Akeem and Semmi, respectively, but, also, morph back into fan-favorite roles as the guys from the barbershop in Queens (characters whom I will always find funny), and also, Murphy as the lead singer of the band, Sexual Chocolate, and Hall as Reverend Brown. (Hall also played a new character in Baba).
These are just parts of many clever callbacks to the first movie, as also returning are James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer (Akeem’s father), Shari Headley as Lisa (now Queen of Zamunda), Paul Bates as Oha, John Amos as Cleo McDowell (Lisa’s father), and Louie Anderson as Maurice. While the movie may seem repetitive and repeating the first movie at times, I didn’t necessarily mind how Fowler pretty much stepped into the role Murphy had in the first film, while Murphy took the position of James Earl Jones.
Additionally, the new characters even add some humor into the mix, as Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan, two people who are almost guaranteed to give some funny material, do it once again in their roles as the biological mother and uncle of Akeem’s son, respectively. Wesley Snipes gives possibly the unsung, hidden-gem performance of the movie, as he plays Akeem’s rival, General Izzi, and is so goofy, yet charming at the same time, that he steals every scene he is in. And, to me, this is impressive, considering the fact that Murphy is known more for being a comedic actor, was the star of the first movie, and Snipes is known for more serious roles like in the Blade movies, New Jack City, Demolition Man, and Passenger 57.
There are also some funny cameos added into the mix, including notable names such as Colin Jost, Trevor Noah, Morgan Freeman, and even NBA Hall of Famer, Dikembe Mutombo, that add to the fan satisfaction I feel this movie gives its audience.
So, wrapping all of this up, I would definitely recommend Coming 2 America, especially to fans of the first movie, because I feel this will satisfy them. Just don’t expect it to be as fresh as the first in terms of comedy and ideas.
