by Shane Conto
Who else out there really missed Eddie Murphy? As a kid, I spent a lot of time watching films like Shrek, The Nutty Professor, and Dr. Dolittle. Murphy was a genius with his comedy and his ability to play so many different characters. As I grew up and began to see some of his work on Saturday Night Live, his classic films like Trading Places, and of course Coming to America. For years, Eddie Murphy was one of the most popular and influential comedies in the world. Then BAM… he disappeared. But then 2019 happened and we were all treated to Craig Brewer’s Dolemite Is My Name. Brewer is back again partnering with Murphy to deliver a sequel that was 33 years in the making.
Will you be hopping on the hype train for Amazon Prime’s latest offering, Coming 2 America?
Forgetting about the silly and predictable title, Brewer certainly tries a lot with this new sequel comedy. The film recaptures the colorful and vibrant world of Zamunda, which was one of the most important pieces to get right. The production design is quite impeccable but there are some concerns with the cinematography that looks very bland and shiny. The use of special effects is also iffy with some of the animals. Plus, the attempts at action sequences are rough. There is an early scene to show off Murphy’s Akeem and his battle skills, but you can tell the horrible editing is trying to hide Murphy. Some will definitely care more about the filmmaking techniques than others but who really came into Coming 2 America searching for impeccable filmmaking? One positive is the pace is breezy and the runtime does not feel as bloated as the original.
But can the writing crew led by Black-ish creator, Kenya Barris, deliver the goods?
Not quite. Did I laugh? I certainly did! Did I have fun? Of course. But did Coming 2 America avoid the comedy sequel traps of retreading the original elements? Unfortunately, that answer is a resounding “no.” More or less, this film is the first film with a few little twists to avoid being a clone. But it is okay, there is a scene that will explain that sequels are never as good. One of the worst aspects is that Akeem becomes so controlling like his dad was that he is no longer likable. Why would you make your hero so unlikable? On top of that, they did not do anything particularly interesting with him. The other big issue is that this film is stuffed. How many characters can they possibly fit in? Some of the returning characters felt like they were there out of obligation, while others felt shoe-horned in for laughs (which they admittedly delivered on). From a story perspective, Akeem finds out he has a bastard son and must get him to come to Zamunda because… rules are sexist and archaic. The film does deliver some solid feminist themes, including a solid action set pieces towards the end featuring Akeem’s impressive daughters.
But can this stacked and talented cast create the spark that is needed to recapture the magic of the original film?
Oh, it is so great to see Eddie Murphy back doing his thing. Even if Akeem was not as fun in this story, his other characters make fun and riotous returns (even if they feel a bit unnecessary). Arsenio Hall’s Semmi is significantly under-utilized in this film, but similar to Murphy, his other characters are loads of fun. James Earl Jones makes a fun and brief appearance and Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan do their things to a varying degree (Jones is quite funny in the film). One of the biggest additions who stole every scene was Wesley Snipes. Snipes is a dangerous warlord who has plenty of swagger and flair. Shari Headley is nice to see as well as she gets some nice moments in standing up a rigid and controlling Akeem. The younger cast consisting of Jermaine Fowler, KiKi Layne, and Nomzamo Mbatha are charming in the roles that they are given. Throw in a few surprising, yet really fun cameos and you have a cast way too large to balance in this film.
But the biggest question looming over Coming 2 America is, could this film be worth the wait?
The anticipation and expectations have become too high over the course of 33 years. This Amazon film had the insurmountable task of satisfying fans and doing something new and fresh with the story. Instead, the film feels very satisfied with just being eerily similar to the original film. Was it fun? Yes! Was it a worthwhile artistic achievement? Not quite.
Grade: C