Long-distant sequels to comedy classics are often met with a significantly tall (And near impossible) order of having to live up to both the legacies and standards established by their predecessors, with most cases having them falling flat in comparison. Some recent examples of long-distant comedy classics trying and ultimately failing to make lightning strike twice are Anchorman 2, Dumb And Dumber To, and Zoolander 2 with the few exceptions being Bill &Ted Face The Music and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. With Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to the 1988 smash hit starring Eddie Murphy experienced numerous setbacks and development hell in regards to getting off the ground with both its main stars Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, rightfully stating that they wouldn't make a sequel unless it lives up to the first film both story and quality wise. Fast-forward 33 years after the release of the first film, the sequel to Coming to America finally lands on Amazon Prime with 90 percent of the originals cast returning for the follow-up. With the production of Coming 2 America being greenlighted, audiences were left scratching their heads in wondering why a sequel to the first film was necessary, especially given the distance between the two movies along with Eddie Murphy's career being well past its prime. What could've easily turned out to be a complete disappointment of a sequel manages to be a surprisingly decent follow-up, that not only remains both funny and goofy in nature, but maintains the heart of the original. Coming 2 America is not a perfect comedy sequel by any means, but it delivers a very strong effort in delivering a worthy feel-good sequel to its classic predecessor.
The plot for Coming 2 America centers around African monarch Akeem (Eddie Murphy) discovering that he has a long-lost son in the United States. Upon learning this, Akeem returns to America to meet and build a relationship with him while a dictatorish general named Izzi (Wesley Snipes) aspires to takeover the throne of Zamunda. The plot for Coming 2 America structures itself as being similar to the original in terms of walking familiar story beats, as well as providing a plausible scenario for Murphy's character to once again return to America in search of a member of his family. While it can be said that the storyline for the sequel relies a little too heavily on the first film for comfort, that's not necessarily a bad thing as the new film changes up the main synopsis with Akeem looking for his son this time compared to searching for his bride in the original. One of the key aspects of the first Coming to America that made it a comedy classic was not just the goofy nature of its plot, but the amount of charm and heart it possessed. Audiences not only laughed at both Murphy and Hall's characters antics, but became invested in their hilarious venture to find Akeem a bride. The sequel not only does a solid job of staying true to both the characters and plot of the original, but maintains its heart without dishonoring it. The new film brings the characters into a more modern setting with a fresh batch of references to the recent pop culture and political climate. The end result is a surprisingly faithful follow-up to the original classic that feels like a nostalgic trip down memory lane, while providing a fresh new batch of appealing characters along with playing off numerous jokes from the first film. Although the humor isn't as edgy as the first film due to the lowering of its rating from being Rated R to PG-13, the sequel still generates massive laughs from its audience while being both charming and well-intended on its own right. The return of many of the key characters from the first film is a nice touch in helping bridge the two films together, along with providing the audience with a strong teaspoon of nostalgia. Like how last year's Bill & Ted Face The Music embraced the legacy of its predecessor while giving the series a proper upgrade, Coming 2 America works in the same vein in regards to utilizing everything that worked about the original film, while showing audiences where these characters have ended up since audiences last saw them three decades prior. For a sequel that audiences in particular didn't ask for, Coming 2 America makes the case for being a worthy follow-up that gets more right than gets wrong.
One key element of the sequel that helps it recapture some of the originals energy, is the enormous appeal of the films talented cast. The returning faces from the original film go a long way with making the whole experience feel even more fun with the new additions to the cast matching them in showing genuine enthusiasm for being apart of the film, as well as playing their characters. Both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall once again reprise their roles from the previous film with them still carrying the same energy and chemistry from before with them appearing to not miss a beat. Murphy once again delivers a charismatic performance as Prince/King of Zamunda, Akeem Joffer with his character being shown to struggle in regards to holding onto his kingdom as General Izzi plots to take over through an arranged marriage with one of Akeems children as well as his own. Murphy manages to slip back into one of his trademark character roles and play an older and wiser version of him, without missing any of the charisma he brought to the iconic role of Akeem 33 years earlier. Murphy also once again handles the duties of playing multiple characters in the sequel with him reprising his previous roles of soul singer Randy Watson with his fictional band, Sexual Chocolate from the first along with Queens local barber Mr. Clarence, and the Jewish barbershop customer Saul. Murphy does great with playing these roles once again with him bringing the same style of energy in playing them that he did previously. The same can also be said about Arsenio Hall reprising his role as Akeem's best friend and servant Semmi, with him also performing multiple roles like Murphy such as Reverend Brown from the first, along with Mr. Clarence's right hand barber, Morris, and a hilarious witch doctor named Baba. The return of both Murphy and Hall plays a significant role in the sequel being as fun and entertaining as it ultimately turns out to be with them reusing many of the same characters and gimmicks from the first, that also manage to work here. Outside of their performances, the true standout of the film goes to Wesley Snipes in his hilarious role as General Izzi with his character repeatedly trying to push Akeem to have his eldest daughter Meeka marry his foppish son, Idi. Snipes is delightfully fun to watch with him playing his character as being ridiculously over-the-top, especially with the way his character makes an entrance in Akeem's palace. When Murphy and Hall aren't on the screen, Snipes steals the show and provides the film with a hilarious side character/ antagonist, allowing Snipes to demonstrate his hidden talents as a comedic star. The newest additions to the main cast all manage to shine with Jermaine Fowler delivering a likable performance as Akeem's son Lavelle Junson, along with Leslie Jones as Lavelle's mother Mary. Junson does a fairly solid job of playing his character as being a young man trying to find his true purpose in life, while slowly coming to terms with the revealing of being the new heir to Zamunda. Tracy Morgan and KiKi Layne deliver both fun and effective performances as Lavelle's uncle Reem Junson, and Layne as both Akeem and Lisa's daughter Princess Meeka Joffer, whose revealed to be inegligible to take over the throne of Zamunda with it having to be specifically a male heir. The returning faces from the original are much welcomed here. along with helping to give the sequel a legit feeling of authenticity to it. Shari Headley's return is noteworthy as Akeem's wife Queen Lisa, whom he fell in love with during his previous trip to America. Although her character has a smaller role in comparison to the first film, her part still adds a sizable amount of weight to the story along with grounding Akeem's character as not just being a king but a family man this time around. James Earl Jones return is greatly appreciated as the ailing King Jaffe Joffer with his character showing visible frustration at the lack of a male heir being produced by Akeem to pass the throne onto. The rest of the cast deliver noteworthy performances that add to the film including Bella Murphy as Akeem and Lisa's second daughter Princess Omma Joffer, Akiley Love as their third daughter Princess Tinashe Joffer, John Amos in a surprise return as Akeem's father-in-law and Lisa's father Cleo McDowell, Louie Anderson as Akeem's former co-worker Maurice at McDowell's restaurant, Vanessa Bell calloway as General Izzi's younger sister and Akeem's previous intended bride Imani Izzi, and Nomzamo Mbatha in an impressive performance as Mirembe, a royal groomer and love interest to Lavelle in a fitting parallel to Akeem's forbidden romance with Lisa in the first film. The cast for Coming 2 America is a combination of both old and new faces that not only work beautifully together, but add a great deal of freshness and energy to the story. The new faces do a great deal in helping modernize the originals concept for today's generation, while bringing in the fans of the original. Everyone carries a performance that's lively along with having a shared acknowledgement of the legacy their continuing, as well as the need to do it justice. Thankfully for the audience, that very much appears to be the case here.
Taking over the directorial reigns from John Landis who helmed the first Coming To America, Craig Brewer who previously helmed 2005's Hustle And Flow and Black Snake Moan steps in to helm the much anticipated sequel with him bringing a more modern style approach to the story, along with giving it the visual flare that made the original film appealing, particularly the scenes in Zamunda. The production for Coming 2 America feels grand in scope with the cinematography, art-set design, and costume design all going hand-in-hand in bringing the world of Zamunda alive to audiences where they feel transported back to the kingdom they fell in love with in the first Coming to America. With the sequel, the film doesn't just feel like a celebration of the first, but also the richness of African-American culture in general. The story is steadily paced for the most part despite the films third act feeling a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the film. Although the film boasts a PG-13 rating in comparison to the first being rated R, both Murphy and Brewer push the boundaries of their rating by including much of the originals crude humor without using excessive profanity. One aspect of the films production that's noteworthy, is the collaboration that both Murphy and Brewer have developed together with their previous work on Dolemite Is My Name. Like Landis before him, Brewer appears to know how to properly capture Eddie Murphy on camera in a way that captures both his trademark comedic style and serious acting, which largely benefits his character. Although Brewer isn't quite as skillful as Landis in crafting a well-rounded comedy, the effort that the former puts into making the sequel work is both a strong and admirable one with unquestionable love for the original film being shown on clear display here.
The films screenplay by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, and David Sheffield from a story by Blaustein, Sheffield, and Justin Kanew, delivers a reasonably solid effort in showing where the characters from the first film such as Akeem, Lisa, and Semmi ended up in a more modern setting. What the script does well at is staying true to the original film with the audience being able to buy all the new subplots regarding the original characters, while being able to digest new twists to the story such as the hilarious explanation given on how Akeem could possibly have a son. The script places heavy emphasis on themes regarding family, assuming one's role as heir, finding love outside of royalty, and recognizing that women can become leaders of Zamunda as evidenced with Princess Meeka's character being frustrated with the gender barriers in regards to assuming the throne. The story also drives home the notion that the future of Zamunda lies with the new generation of rulers assuming their role on the throne such as the characters of Lavelle and Meeka. A key element that made the plot for Coming To America so significant for audiences was the fact that it was an unusual story made in Hollywood at the time regarding a black fairytale that was not only outrageously funny and clever with its concept, but carried a tremendous amount of heart which made it work. Despite Coming 2 America not having the complete amount of heart that the original carried, it stays true to the latter's roots while providing newer characters for the audience to connect with. The problems that arise with the script outside of it doing a decent enough job of providing convincing reasons for Akeem's character to make another venture back to America, the whole scenario can often find itself feeling a bit too familiar to audiences with it feeling as if Murphy and Brewer are learning too much on the original for comfort along with subplots that often feel repetitive of what was shown before previously. such as the romance between Lavelle and Mirembe clearly mirroring that of both young Akeem and Lisa. The main difference between the two love stories is although audiences knew that Lisa was inevitably going to end up being Akeem's bride, there was a certain charm and thrill that one felt upon watching Akeem attempt to both impress and win her without outright revealing his true heritage to her. Although the romance between Lavelle and Mirembe works here, it's not as effective and ultimately comes across as feeling like a watered down version of what was done before (And much better). In addition to the romance not being as strong, Lavelle's character isn't as likable or appealing as Akeem was in the first Coming To America with the only reason audiences would even bother caring for his character because of his connection to the latter. The areas where the script does excel at is showing the marriage struggles that both Akeem and Lisa have in being a happily married couple, along with Akeem being called out for not changing the rules of the kingdom so that Meeka can become a ruler herself. The script also earns props for pushing the story further with Akeem essentially losing both his parents and taking the role of his father in pushing his newfound son to marry for royal purposes rather than true love. The stories most powerful moments come with Akeem confiding in Lavelle about the lessons he learned in the past about love and doing what he feels is best for his life and not what his parents says. The audience witness the full effect of these scenes when Akeem is put in a position to where he's faced to either accept Lavelle's feelings and desire to be with Meeka, or insist on him marrying out of royalty like Akeem's father attempted to persuade him to do. Despite its share of faults, the script for Coming 2 America lands for the most part with it doing an honorable job of building off both the characters and world from the first movie, along with doing so in a way which the audience can buy as being believable and convincing. While its true that the sequel bears many similarities to the story structure of the first film, it also appropriately distances itself and provides new surprises for the audience regarding the characters while moving the story forward.
As fun and entertaining as the Coming 2 America turns out to be, one questions whether a sequel to the original was necessary given the gap between both movies along with the first film essentially wrapping everything up nicely with its fairy tale ending. Even though a sequel ultimately wasn't necessary and often finds itself struggling with the thin line between being a sequel rather than a retread of the first, it does a pretty solid job of justifying its existence without taking away any of the original films power. The first Coming To America was a story about a young prince in search for his bride with the sequel essentially serving as being a completion of his family tree. The newest film is best enjoyed by those who've seen the first film and appreciate both its characters and jokes, as the sequel provides numerous callbacks to that film along with utilizing the same style of humor. Although it can be argued that the newer film plays it a little too safe in regards to presenting familiar subplots and jokes (One can't help but wonder what both the filmmakers and Murphy could've accomplished with the film boasting an R rating), there's enough shown with what Coming 2 America does right in regards to being a faithful sequel while effectively moving the story forward with newer characters who ultimately help to compliment the old ones. Whereas the new film stands as being a sequel that virtually nobody asked for with its existence being made fun of in the film with Lavelle's character questioning what else Hollywood has to offer besides unnecessary sequels, reboots, and pointless remakes that nobody wants. While his response to Mirembe declaring her likeness for film is meant to be funny, it brings the audience to question the very existence of the film laid before them. Thankfully, Coming 2 America makes the case of being a reasonably solid follow-up to the first that not only celebrates its legacy, but effectively introduces it to a newer audience. There isn't any question that a great deal of love went into making this sequel despite its faults, and should be commended for its bravery to continue the originals story. And do it surprisingly well.
Final Verdict: Fans of the original Coming To America as well as Eddie Murphy will be surprised to find that Coming 2 America is a surprisingly decent sequel to the first, that maintains the originals laughs while giving audiences an extreme shot of nostalgia.
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