‘Coming 2 America’ Loses The Original’s Edge In A Toothless, Overly-Nostalgic Drag [Review]

Angelique Jackson Zamunda might be King Akeem’s kingdom, but the “Coming to America” wouldn’t be complete without its Queens.While Shari Headley’s Lisa McDowell captured fans’ attention and Akeem’s (Eddie Murphy) heart with her confidence and headstrong attitude in the 1988 original, “Coming 2 America” boasts a new crop of ladies who are ready to speak their minds and take their rightful place at the center of Zamunda’s legend, including KiKi Layne, Bella Murphy (yes, star Eddie Murphy’s

Over three decades ago, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall starred in the iconic comedy Coming to America, delivering plenty of lines, scenes and styles remembered and quoted often today. In the sequel Coming 2 America, Murphy’s Prince Akeem and Hall’s Semmi as well as many more beloved characters are enjoying life in the kingdom of Zamunda.

Eddie Murphy has been perfectly comfortable sitting under mountains of prosthetics and makeup to make himself transform into the various characters seen throughout his films for decades. Perhaps that trick has been used best in his two “Coming to America” films.

Over the weekend, Amazon Prime Video released “Coming 2 America,” the much-anticipated sequel to the classic Eddie Murphy comedy, “Coming to America.” While the sequel has a ton of callbacks and cameos from the first film, there is one pretty big difference (other than the age of the characters) between the films—the rating. The sequel sports a PG-13 rating, while the original sits comfortably in the R-rated realm.

Wakanda, there was Zamunda.

Jermaine Fowler was one month old. It would be another eight years before he saw the Eddie Murphy-Arsenio Hall classic for the first time as an elementary schooler.

Eddie Murphy’s comeback is not stopping anytime soon. The "Coming 2 America" actor, 59, appeared alongside Arsenio Hall on an upcoming episode of Kevin Hart’s SiriusXM radio show, "Comedy Gold Minds," and confirmed that he plans to return to stand-up comedy once the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall's latest Zamunda-to-New York City adventure with Coming 2 America has dropped one day early on Amazon Prime in the U.S. The sequel to the 1988 comedy Coming to America was to have dropped on March 5, but showed up Thursday on the streaming platform.

Natalie Oganesyan editor“Coming 2 America,” the long-awaited sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 “Coming to America,” has released early on Amazon Prime. Originally, the pic was set to drop on the streaming service on Friday.The sequel to John Landis’ hit comedy follows Prince Akeem (Murphy), who is set to become the king of the fictional country of Zamunda, an African kingdom untouched by colonialism, and finds out he has a son he never knew about — a street-savvy Queens native, Lavelle.

Like a blind date who starts off the evening by making a self-deprecating joke, the sequel to Eddie Murphy's smash hit 1988 comedy Coming to America takes pains to deflect the most obvious criticism that might come its way. "American cinema is the best," a character declares at one point in the unimaginatively titled Coming 2 America.

The “Coming 2 America” cast didn’t let the pandemic stop them from celebrating the film’s premiere in style, from their homes.

Eddie Murphy’s comeback is not stopping anytime soon. The "Coming 2 America" actor, 59, appeared alongside Arsenio Hall on an upcoming episode of Kevin Hart’s SiriusXM radio show, "Comedy Gold Minds," and confirmed that he plans to return to stand-up comedy once the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Once upon a time, dear children, before you were born, they made a fairytale movie about a kingdom called Zamunda. “Coming to America,” starring Eddie Murphy at the height of his popularity and charisma, became a huge hit and a cult classic.In this film, dear children, Murphy played Prince Akeem — he didn’t need to be called Prince Charming, because he was already so darned charming.

“Coming 2 America” darn near copies its predecessor, down to specific cherished bits: attractive royal servants emerging from the bathtub, Fresh Peaches the rapper, an arranged marriage where the bride-to-be’s favorite food is “whatever you like.” It’s all here in director Craig Brewer’s movie, for better or worse.And the repetition doesn’t end there. The comedy is once again about a fish-out-of-water man facing a dilemma about his future.