Coming 2 America: A Comforting Traipse Down Memory Lane
After 33 long years, Eddie Murphy returns to the royal country of Zamunda in Coming 2 America. Reprising his role of Akeem, Murphy reteams with Dolemite Is My Name director Craig Brewer and reunites with a slew of original cast members (including Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones) for a nostalgia-heavy sequel that captures much of the magic of its predecessor.
The African monarch Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet this unexpected heir and build a relationship with his son.
Coming 2 America is a film that’s aware of exactly what it is, down to its own nonessential existence. Just over an hour in, Jermaine Fowler, who plays Murphy’s bastard son, Lavelle, muses about American cinema: “What do we have besides superhero shit, remakes, and sequels to old movies that no one asked for?” To which Nomzamo Mbatha, who plays Lavelle’s royal hairdresser, Mirembe, replies: “This is true about sequels. If something is good, why ruin it?”
It’s with this self-awareness that Coming 2 America takes special care to preserve the legacy of its forebear, whilst simultaneously searching for its own reason to exist. As much as this decades-long sequel shamelessly revels in the fruits of its past, it also seeks to do more than simply conjure up the bygone feeling of its predecessor. For all its heavy nostalgia (for which there is much), the film smartly adopts the mentality of the here and now. Similar to last year’s Bill & Ted Face The Music, Coming 2 America indulges — sometimes to a fault — in the rituals of old, but it also brings with it a lighthearted warmth and message of positive change.
The sequel inverts the fish-out-of-water premise of the original, flipping the setting to primarily center around Zamunda (as opposed to New York City), and adds a sub-plot involving Akeem’s daughters and the Zumandan throne to give it a modern kick, which is both heavy-handed and mildly refreshing. This may not be enough for some viewers to grab onto, but these kinds of films are ultimately more about the characters than they are plot, and it’s the many returning faces and new additions that make this traipse down memory lane an entertaining comfort.
It’s nice to see Arsenio and Murphy, who have a superb chemistry, share the screen together again, especially as their many side characters. In particular, returning to the barbershop to see Morris, Clarence, and Saul was a glorious delight and make this worth the watch alone (in our opinion). Interestingly, Murphy takes a backseat and hands over many of the film’s best moments to newcomers Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones (who plays Lavelle’s mother, Mary), and Tracy Morgan (who play Lavelle’s Uncle Reem). Although he’s not as funny as he was in Dolemite Is My Name, Wesley Snipes also stands out as the colorfully quirky General Izzi.
It’s a bit slow to get moving and struggles to balance its main plot threads, but outside a few scenes, Brewer and company capture much of the same feel of the original. Despite its dip in rating (from R in 1988 to PG-13), the attitude of its comedy is also right in alignment with the occasional wobble. Besides some unnecessary nudity and one hilarious instance of harder edged language, the original Landis film gravitates largely within a PG-13 zone, and so Coming 2 America’s more family-friendly approach doesn’t feel too off target, and it makes its more adult humor land a bit harder. The lavish set pieces by Jefferson Sage and intricate costumes from Ruth E. Carter (who did a similarly phenomenal job on Dolemite Is My Name) also add to the film’s enjoyment. They give the film a vibrant sense of personality and color, which shine the brightest in larger ceremony sequences, and help to create the royal illusion of Zumunda.
Although Coming 2 America essentially follows the same narrative course (albeit a modernized one) it did in 1988 with very little deviation, there’s still joy and entertainment to be found its silly, familiar journey. It doesn’t tarnish the legacy of the original, but it’s too enamored with the past to truly blaze as brightly as it did in the late-80s. Still, it doesn’t “ruin it,” which is something, and while it undermines some of the original’s sweetness, it its shine all the more bright by comparison.
Recommendation: If you like the feel of the original and won’t be butthurt by an inverted retread, definitely give Coming 2 America a watch. If anything, seek out the barbershop scenes, which are pure gold.
Rating: 3.5 wisecracking barbers outta 5.
Are you delirious for more Eddie Murphy?! Check out the links below:
Dolemite Is My Name review
Five Fun Facts About Coming To America
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!