Review: Coming 2 America

Image courtesy of Amazon.

There are sequels that come about as a natural extension of an unfinished story - and then, there are others that exist merely for fan service. "Coming 2 America" arrives 33 years after the original and is an example of the latter. That's not to say it doesn't have its pleasures - yes, it's fun to see Sexual Chocolate perform again, and some story lines that focus on the film's female characters is a welcome addition that I didn't exactly see coming, considering this is a sequel - albeit a PG-13 one - to a very R-rated 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy.

But otherwise, there's a lot of fan service going on here. The cast appears to be having a good time, although it might be said they're having more of a gas than the viewer at times. Murphy returns as Prince Akeem - soon to be King Akeem after his father (James Earl Jones) shuffles off his mortal coil - and Arsenio Hall is back as trusty servant and friend Semmi, while Shari Headley reprises her role as love interest - and now queen - Lisa.

New to the mix are Wesley Snipes as General Izzi - taking over for Calvin Lockhart as Col. Izzi - as well as Akeem's three spirited daughters and a new family: Leslie Jones as Mary Junson, Jermaine Fowler as Lavelle Junson and Tracy Morgan as Lavelle's Uncle Reem. In a plot thread borne completely out of convenience for the script, Akeem finds out that he bore an illegitimate child (with Mary) back in the 1980s when Semmi got him drunk at a club, and Lavelle is his long lost son. This all comes up when Akeem becomes nervous about choosing his oldest daughter, Meeka (Kiki Layne), as his heir when Izzi starts making threats against the kingdom.

The strangest part about "Coming 2 America" is just how little time is actually spent in the United States. Akeem makes a stop in Queens to meet Lavelle and his family, whom he almost too easily convinces to return to Zamunda, and there's a scene late in the film during which Akeem has further reason to return to the New York City borough, but that's primarily it. 

Many of the gags in the picture are recycled from the original: There's the return of the barking Imani (meh), a washing of the "royal privates" (in this case, the joke feels somewhat fresh for reasons I won't divulge), a cameo by the lecherous priest (meh), the return of Sexual Chocolate (although it's not nearly as funny as that group's appearance in the original film, seeing Murphy as Randy Watson again made me smile) and the old geezers in the barbershop (mostly pretty funny, although I could have stood spending more time with them than some of the sequel's various plot threads).

It's great to see Murphy and Hall together again, and the scenes involving them somewhat retain the spirit of the original, albeit in a more "family friendly" sequel. The scenes involving Lavelle's rituals to prove he is a worthy heir are less interesting, and a love interest between the young man and a palace employee feels somewhat forced and rushed, although Mirembe (Nomzamo Mbatha) is among the more interesting of the newly introduced characters.

So, no, "Coming 2 America" wasn't exactly necessary. Whether the sequel to "Top Gun" this summer or the latest iteration of "Ghostbusters" are remains to be seen. I'm glad to have spent a little more time with Akeem, Semmi and the rest of the gang, but as far as sequels go, this one is in line with a mostly time-honored tradition: It isn't as good as the original and its existence can mostly be explained by the desire to squeeze a few dollars out of an existing property. It's not bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to its predecessor.