Coming 2 America Movie Review

Coming 2 America is an American rom-com movie directed by Craig Brewer Craig Brewer was born on December 6, 1971, in the >> Read More... based on a screenplay by Barry W Blaustein, Kenya Berris, and David Sheffield. The film starring Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy is a well-known American actor, comed >> Read More... is a sequel to Coming to America, released in 1988. Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones Leslie Jones is an American actress/model, who was >> Read More... , Tracy Morgan Tracy Morgan is an American actor and voice over a >> Read More... , Kiki Layne, Sharey Headley, Teyana Taylor, Wesley Snipes Wesley Trent Snipes is a movie actor, Martial Arti >> Read More... , and James Earl Jones James Earl Jones is an American actor best known f >> Read More... co-star in the movie. The film is an adaptation of a story by Blaustein, Sheffield, and Justin Kanew, produced by Kevin Misher and Eddie Murphy. Joe Williams handled the cinematography, and Jermaine Stefall provided the musical score. Amazon Studios acquired the digital rights for the film, releasing it digitally on March 4, 2021.

Plot

The movie takes off from where Coming to America ended. King Jaffe Joffer, on his deathbed, tells Akeem that he has an illegitimate son back in New York Click to look into! >> Read More... . Akeem, who has no memory of such an incident, learns that his long-time friend Semmi had instructed a woman to have sex with him and drugged him on his last visit to Queens. Akeem is reluctant to find his son but is left with no choice when he learns of the neighboring nation's dictator, General Izzi's plan to take over Zamunda. Because of Zamunda's rule of only having male kings, Akeem travels to Queens with Semmi to find his son. The film follows Akeem's efforts to bond with his son and the change in the tale when they land in Zamunda.

Star Performance

Wesley Snipes walks into Eddie Murphy's film and steals the show, like he always does. He shines in every aspect. His shrewdness added to the menacing looks, bringing the character to life. Leslie Jones makes her presence known and stands above the other female characters with her strong performance. Eddie Murphy goes a notch milder compared to the prequel.

Analysis

The movie is a bold attempt by Craig Brewer to establish Coming 2 America in 2021 and starts from where its prequel left off, making the necessary adjustments to fit the new plot. Even though the story suited it correctly, Eddie Murphy took it a notch down on the comedy side. Praised for its openness and straightforward humor, the prequel won the hearts of the people easily. But when it comes to the second part, it is quite evident that everything seen in the former is a level down, whether it be the overall scene or the individual characters. But, just like its 1988 predecessor, the costumes stand apart, giving the characters their rich cultural heritage. Some characters work exceptionally well, while others do not get the chance to do so. The movie produces similar repeats from the prequel but fails to work in this context. Leslie Jones steps up her game and creates a space for herself that the other female leads fail to do. Craig Brewer uses many elements that worked in the past film, hoping it would take back the audience, but only succeeds in making the film more boring with repetition.

What’s There?

• Vibrant costumes and rich cultural heritage
• A walk back to memory lane
• Bold and strong comedic scenes

What's Not There?

• Strong female characters are absent.
• A proper romantic track, unlike the prequel, is not there.
• Interesting plots and engaging scenes are not present.

Verdict

The film, although it tries to spark the same old flame in the viewers, falls short of that goal. There are scenes that invoke laughter in the viewers but get drowned out when familiar portrayals overshadow them. The costume and make-up are exquisite, adding an element of originality to the characters while maintaining the same cultural richness that we saw in the 1988 counterpart. Jermaine Fowler fails where Eddie Murphy succeeded in bringing life and laughter to the screen. His character at times seems lifeless. For people who see Coming to America as a masterpiece that they can watch any number of times, this sequel will surely disappoint them.