• Post category:Movies
  • Post last modified:March 9, 2021

Coming to America

THIS SUMMER, PRINCE AKEEM DISCOVERS AMERICA.

comingtoamericaPampered African prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) has just turned 21 and wants more independence, taking his best friend (Arsenio Hall) on a trip to New York City where they pose as poor foreign students. Not a sequel to Trading Places (1983) but a successful comedy in the same vein, complete with two funny cameos from that movie. This was the first film where Murphy played not only the lead but also several small, supporting roles in heavy makeup. He’s irresistible and the cultural clashes between the prince and America are very amusing. At its best in the first half; the simple story may go on a little too long, but the cast is always solid.

1988-U.S. 116 min. Color. Produced by George Folsey, Jr., Robert D. Wachs. Directed by John Landis. Screenplay: David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein. Makeup: Rick Baker. Cast: Eddie Murphy (Akeem Joffer), Arsenio Hall (Semmi), James Earl Jones (Jaffe Joffer), John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley… Samuel L. Jackson, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Cameos: Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche.

Trivia: Gooding’s first film. Sidney Poitier was allegedly first considered for Jones’s part. Humorist Art Buchwald later claimed to have come up with the idea for the film and won a civil suit against Paramount. Followed by Coming 2 America (2021).

Last word: “The guy on ‘Trading Places’ was young and full of energy and curious and funny and fresh and great. The guy on ‘Coming to America’ was the pig of the world – the most unpleasant, arrogant, bullshit entourage… just an asshole.” (Landis, Collider)

 

IMDb

What do you think?

0 / 5. Vote count: 0

Got something to say?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.