“Now, more than ever” is the official tagline of the Covid pandemic, and now, more than ever, we need a feel-good movie. “Coming 2 America” is that movie, for fans of the original film, at least.
When last we saw Prince Akeem, of the African nation of Zamunda, he had found his queen in Queens, NY. I figured they were just going to live happily ever after. That was 1988, in the Eddie Murphy classic, “Coming to America.” 2020-2021 has been a year of surprises, perhaps none of them bigger than the arrival, 33 years later, of a “Coming to America” sequel.
Thirty years into a happy marriage, Akeem (Murphy) and his wife, Lisa, have 3 lovely daughters. What they do not have is a son, which is what Zamunda requires for an heir. As Akeem prepares to inherit the throne from his dying father, this lack of an heir in the next generation draws the attentions of Zamunda's warlike neighbor. Nextdooria is ruled by General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), who is ever eager to exploit a weakness. On his death-bed, Akeem's father (James Earl Jones) reveals that Akeem unwittingly fathered a child on that long-ago trip to America, a son who could rightfully become the next Prince of Zamunda. Akeem and his faithful sidekick Semmi (Arsenio Hall) travel back to Queens to recruit this young prince. Meanwhile, Akeem's oldest daughter, Meeka (Kiki Layne), chafes at being passed over for the throne.
“Coming 2 America” is every bit as dumb as you think it would be, and every bit as fun! They got an incredible number of cast members from the original movie to pop in for the sequel, including John Amos (as Cleo McDowell), Louie Anderson, and the list goes on. Is there Sexual Chocolate in the mix? Are the barber shop guys back? Yes and yes!
The sequel does bring in some fresh blood, including Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, and the promising, young Jermaine Fowler. Leslie Jones, in particular, is hilarious! The main attraction here, however, is all the callbacks to the original film. Even the plot is a retread of the original – a headstrong prince defies his father's plans for a political marriage.
It's tempting to say that Eddie Murphy is back. He was outstanding in 2019's "Dolemite is my Name," and he delivers the goods in “Coming 2 America,” but this film is very much a celebration of the past. If Murphy is hoping to move from beloved 80s icon to a relevant comedian today, “Coming 2 America” is not the project that will do it.
The bottom line is that “Coming 2 America” is a stupid-fun tribute to the original film. Fans of the original should absolutely watch it, and everyone else should not bother.
4 stars out of 5 (for fans of the original)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment