Coming 2 America (2020)

This is a very funny, entertaining, sometimes nostalgic, good spirited movie that brings us back to Zamunda and Queens, the two locations of one of the funniest of American comedies, with the original Coming to America really being a perfect comedy with absolutely no false notes. And like the original, it boasts an immensely talented cast of black artists, and is really a celebration of black talent in every area from comedy, drama, to music, and beyond.Hoping for the day when people are no longer defined by trivial characteristics, as a so-called white audience member I have always been a great admirer of all aspects of African-American talent, which has only lagged behind recognition of white talent because of simple and ugly prejudice. There are too many extraordinary performances by black artists throughout the years not to join in on the celebration.People complain about it being too PC or "woke", but why should it not pay attention to the important changes in culture which are all about equality. So much of black film making is about equality for good reason, because African-Americans have suffered from the ravages of inequality, and because equality is the way society will find peace and prosperity. Hatred and prejudice are poisonous to all who contact it, and art should be a force for good at every turn. (Thank you, Spike Lee) But its social awareness is never heavy-handed, and never obscure's the humor of the piece.So in this vein, one of the great things about the original, as well as with the movie Black Panther, is that it casts black people in the roles of Kings and Queens, and Heads of State, which is the psychological antidote to the roles black people have been forced to play in this society from its inception. And even if the depictions of these kingdoms are apparent fantasies, they actually point back to a reality and a time when there were Black African Kingdoms, advance cultures that were overlooked by European historians.It's wonderful to see the lifelong friends, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, friends in real life and in Zamunda, depicted here. Arsenio Hall is genuinely funny, subtle, and always kind, which comedy needs more of. Eddie Murphy generously gives the rest of the cast a chance to shine, which makes this entirely different from a vanity project, which he could've made it. He is the master of ceremonies of a talented cast in order to bring Zamunda back to life. And as a performer, he always finds the right note, whether comedically or dramatically. For those who may not have noticed, Eddie is back.Lisa (Shari Headley), his captivating and funny girlfriend-wife from the original, is happily back, and once she has a few drinks with the hilarious, unbridled Leslie Jones, she is back to her feisty self, and rekindles her relationship with Akeem.James Earl Jones returns with his inimitable presence for too short a time, but enough time to give his weight to the entire affair. Missing is the wonderful, and beautiful Madge Sinclair who played Queen Aoleon in the original with grace, nobility and a truly queenly presence.John Amos, who I never thought was given enough credit for why the original is so funny, as the perfect comic foil, both a heavy and a hero, only has a few short scenes, but he has one pivotal scene in the Zamunda McDowell's, where he is still pointing out the inconsequential differences between his burgers and drinks and McDonald's.Jermaine Fowler, who has a great, light comedic touch, is a perfect choice for Prince Lavelle Johnson, because his goodheartedness, sweetness, and innocence remind us of Akeem. For both of these movies to work we need to like the characters, and we do. And this brings me to the clever device of Akeem unwittingly producing his son under the influence, which he only remembers as being attacked by a wild boar. In this way our memory of Akeem as a good and noble man is preserved.Akeem's daughters are all well played, as is Prince Lavelle's personal groomer who becomes his wife, and it's a great touch to see the Royal Announcer back, with his beautiful singing voice, to affirm the continuity of Zamunda. And Tracy Morgan is funny as Lavelle's uncle, with his funniest scene being his television interview where he insults and tries to supplant Semi (Arsenio) as spokesman for the kingdom.And finally it's great to see Wesley Snipes back, who, despite his troubles, remains an actor of prodigious talent and charisma, who manages to invest those qualities into a perfect, and wryly menacing comic villain.In literature and art there is something called the odious comparison, wherein things of different nature are somehow forced into a comparison which obscures rather than reveals the merits of each work. Coming 2 America was made in a different era, and rightly reflects the new time. The point is that this movie is much better than its detractors say, and if you can see both movies in their own light you will appreciate our return to Zamunda.

I received a phone call from a family member warning me not to watch the movie. Sometimes you got to hit your head against the brick wall. Do I regret watching this movie, not really. Just because I don’t regret watching the movie, does not mean that the movie was great. This movie is nothing compared to the first “Coming to America”. That movie cracked me up and I am going to watch it again to wash the taste out of my mouth that this movie left behind.I am annoyed that when I looked at the reviews people praised it and even some critics said it was great. I am starting to wonder if they got to see a director’s cut or what because we did not watch the same movie. There are way too many cameo roles in this movie. A few of the roles had me wondering if people were in need of a paycheck. I understand times are rough, but not all of them were needed. I am not going to go into a list as to who appeared, that little gem will be for you to discover if you dare. Trust me, it will have you shaking your head and wondering if they are behind on some bills.In the original the barbershop scenes were funny. While it was nice to revisit that moment, I could not get over the fact that the men were still alive. They looked to be in their late sixties in the original movie. If this is thirty years later, how are they still alive. Let’s ignore the fact that they are still alive, how in world do they still look the same. There is no way that they did not age in any way. The fact that their clothing was the only thing that changed annoyed me.The above things could be minor to you. Here is where things went straight downhill for me.(Big Note: Spoiler, so skip this section if you want)The new actors. The plus side was the daughters. I would have preferred if the story focused on his daughters instead of his son. The movie uses the notion that women cannot lead. A familiar notion and if you cannot think of a movie that takes away women’s power think of Jasmine from Aladdin, that being she cannot pick a husband because of old rules. I could think of other movies, but no point in doing that. The eldest daughter comes across as a strong female. I wanted to see her more, along with her sisters. Then there is the bastard son, as the movie loves to call him. He is the goofball that you want to shut up. When we are supposed to feel sorry for him, it is hard to feel sorry for him.When he learns who his father is, he wants nothing to do with him. Drop some money and the tune changes. Even after seeing his father as king, he does not want to accept the new lifestyle. Nothing against him since the plot just rushes this notion. They throw some sexy female at him and he is all for the crown. He lacks maturity and then decides to say screw the rules. He does this because someone tells him the tale of the first movie. In no way does the original plot justify or scream for this boy to act the way he does. Pimp walking instead of a prince walking and doing other things that just have you shake your head. Like I get that you need to be yourself, but there is a time and place for everything. It is a lesson we all learn as kids and were reminded when we embarrassed our parents.Don’t get me started on his mother or his uncle. Both of those characters annoyed me. The mother’s behavior was overexaggerated. The uncle is just around to raise hell and argue. He has no real point, so the uncle could have stayed at home. I am not here to attack the actor or actress, but their characters were so flat and useless that I hated seeing them on screen.Outside of the son’s character, not going to blame his acting since you can only do the best with what you are given, the plot behind his birth is so dumb. Like they reached around in a pile of dung and pulled out this reason. It is clear that Eddie was drugged and was not consenting. Some people could argue a set dark factor, but that is not my point. I hate how everyone knew about this son, but him. When it is brought up, it is more of a laughing point. He is only told because he needs a son. It was clear he was not going to have any sons, so why wait so long. Thirty years in the making they could have come up with a better reason or give him a son another way.(No more spoilers)Eddie as a prince trying to discover himself was well done. Yes, he was goofy, but he was nothing like his son. The romance in the film, while predictable, would have been great if they used the same elements from the first movie. Even the party scene towards the end of the movie could have been better if they didn’t try to throw in a lot of laughs. It feels like they did a lot of trying in this movie. Nothing feels natural, just forced. Even Wesley’s children seem out of place. I looked at them and could only shake my head. Wesley’s actions are no better. I have seen Wesley act funny but this tied into that trying notion.You could watch this just so you can say you saw both movies. Or maybe watch this just so see what not to do in a comedy movie. There are reasons you could come up with justifying why you decided to watch this. The best way to describe this movie is to say that it is a train wreck. There are other things you could watch and I would say watch it. In the end, do you really want this movie in your memory?

This was definitely ot up to the first film whi h was great Definitely disappointing

funny

It was OK but only now and then

very good

Average comedy