The problem with loving a movie is that sometimes you want to see more of the characters involved, or the world it takes place in, even if that’s not the best idea. Often money wins out and if the original makes a lot of it at the box office then executives will want to find a way to tap into the well once more. Eddie Murphy is no stranger to successful sequels, but one of his most popular films never received one – well, until 33 years later.
Here we have a film that reunites the majority of the original cast for its “can’t resist putting a number in the title” sequel Coming 2 America. That’s actually not a knock, as I’d have pitched it that way too. It’s not clever, it’s just right there, hard to pass up and probably better than Coming to America: Return Flight or the likes. That said, it does bring up the Who’s on First? debacle for water cooler chats. “Did you see Coming 2 America?” “Yeah, years ago,” “No, the new one.” “There’s a new one?” “Yeah, Coming Two America,” “But that’s not new,” “No, not Coming to America, Coming TWO America,” “…”
So over three decades later was Coming 2 America a sequel that needed to happen? No, no it’s not. With that said, is it worth checking out if you’re a fan of the original? Yeah, I believe it is. Coming 2 America doesn’t really add anything that needed to be added to the world of Zamunda, but it’s still a funny movie and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall absolutely kill it once again, taking on multiple roles and putting on crazy amounts of makeup and prosthetics to bring the majority of them to life.
It’s been decades since Prince Akeem (Murphy) and Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley) wed in Zamunda to close out the first film, and they’re now parents to three daughters. The eldest is Meeka (KiKi Layne,) followed by Omma (Bella Murphy) and then the youngest, Tinashe (Akiley Love,) and while Meeka has trained her whole life to become the heir to the throne, Zamunda law prohibits it and without a son to be his successor, Akeem’s reign as king would be short lived thanks to a potential hostile takeover by the neighbouring nation of Nexdoria (I mean, yes it’s cheesy but I actually love that they called it that) led by the dictator, General Izzi (played by Wesley Snipes.)
There are a lot of throwbacks to the original, as Izzi is the brother to Akeem’s bride-to-be from the first film, who…let’s just say didn’t do so well after her nuptials to Akeem didn’t work out. He wants his son to wed Princess Meeka, but Akeem won’t have it. Izzi also offers his daughter, but then laughs pointing out Akeem’s shortcomings at producing a male heir. Later, in his father’s chambers, Akeem is told by the shaman Baba (played by Murphy) that Akeem actually does have a son, and Semmi (Hall) confirms that on their first trip to America all those years ago that after being drugged Akeem did actually sleep with a woman named Mary (Leslie Jones) and apparently that one-night stand is all it took.
The movie does a great job of filling in this backstory by actually using certain scenes from the original film, as well as making both Murphy and Hall match their younger selves to film new scenes that fill in the blanks. Since Akeem’s original story was about finding true love, and Lisa was the only woman he’d ever been with, figuring out a way to make it so that he slept with someone else without him knowing wasn’t exactly easy but it works, makes sense and doesn’t hurt Akeem’s innocent character at all knowing that it happened. So now Akeem and Semmi have to head back to America to find his son Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler) and bring him back to Zamunda to claim his place as heir to the throne and in doing so protect the kingdom from invasion.
There’s plenty to enjoy with the film, and one of those things is the return of a large amount of the original cast, no matter how small the role. The late Louie Anderson even returns as McDowell’s worker Maurice, in what would sadly be his last movie role. It’s great seeing everyone back together, and it’s clear that they’re all having a blast on set. The Zamunda funeral that is held while King Jaffe (James Earl Jones) is still alive is top tier entertainment, and there’s just a lot of laughs to be had throughout.
Where the sequel falls far short of the original is in story, though that’s not overly surprising. There are a lot of throwbacks, which is nice, but the story itself just can’t capture that same magic that Coming to America delivered. One can say that it should be expected, but this one just doesn’t even come close to having that same innocence or character development that the first did.
Akeem going on a mission to find true love in a foreign land is simple in premise, but absolutely packed with jokes and a solid love story. When Lavelle arrives in Zamunda (which happens really quickly, so fear not of spoilers) the plan is for him to marry Izzi’s daughter – which Lavelle is okay with at first because he’s physically attracted to her. However, it’s clear as soon as we meet his royal groomer, Mirembe (Nomzamo Mbatha) that she’ll become his love interest. Unlike the first film, however, where Akeem’s relationship with Lisa grew and blossomed over the course of the movie, Lavelle and Mirembe feel forced and to say it’s a whirlwind romance would be generous, as he basically falls in love with her because she tells him she has a favourite movie.
While the heart of the first film isn’t to be found in Coming 2 America, the ideas of change and progression are there, and they work well enough as an overall arc for all involved, even if there were tidier ways in which the storylines could’ve been handled. If you take that into account and just look at the film as an entertaining reunion with characters you liked all those decades ago – and a place for Murphy and Hall to showcase their many comedic talents – then you’ll likely have a good time; though you probably won’t be itching for Coming to Am3rica any time soon.
Blu-ray Video and Audio Review
The Blu-ray transfer of the film is solid across the board on the visual side of things. The 1080p transfer delivers nice, clean visuals, with the scenic shots in Zamunda popping beautifully compared to the much harsher, dingy tones of the few streets of Queens we see this time out. The royal palace also radiates the proper beauty, and the musical numbers within it are colourful and incredibly easy on the eyes. As a whole there’s nothing to complain about here, and those looking to own a physical copy of the sequel will be happy with how this offering delivers.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, and it’s strong from start to finish. Having a booming score and soundtrack hit during certain points is great, as is the clear dialogue found throughout that allows the jokes to take center stage without any strain or distraction by volume adjustment from scene to scene. As a whole it’s a solid transfer as well, and works wonderfully alongside the sharp picture quality.
Special Features:
Director’s Commentary – Craig Brewer delivers a solid commentary track here for those who want a bit more insight of the happenings on set during the making of the film. Of course it would’ve been nice to have had Murphy and/or Hall join in on the fun, but a commentary track is a win in itself.
From Queens to Zamunda – This is a solid feature that runs at just under 26-minutes in length and sees the cast and crew talking about the original film, its impact, what got them to return for a sequel, as well as various parts of the filming process. We also get a look behind the scenes, and into the make-up/prosthetics process as well. It’s really interesting to learn that the barber shop scenes, for instance, took a week to film because Murphy and Hall had to get into character and film each part individually. So as Murphy puts it, a scene that would normally be shot in half a day takes them a week to do.
Lastly, there’s a Trailer Gallery for those who may be interested.
Paramount Pictures Presents Coming 2 America. Directed by: Craig Brewer. Written by: Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, David Sheffield. Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Shari Headley, KiKi Layne, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Louie Anderson. Running time: 110 minutes. Rating: 14A. Blu-ray Released: March 8, 2022.
About Brendan Campbell
