About the film (courtesy of Amazon Studios):
Former Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street savvy Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler). Honoring his royal father’s (James Earl Jones) dying wish to groom this son as the crown prince, since Akeem and Lisa’s daughter is ineligible to take over the throne since Zamunda law that has to be a male heir to take the throne. Akeem and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) set off to America once again.

I freely admit that the movie industry often gets under my skin with the cookie cutter ideas, reboots, remakes and sequels way, way beyond their windows of relevance. There’s an obvious realization that there can only be so many original ideas before repetition becomes a mainstay. All I ask or can hope for, is for those involved in these projects to put in the work to create something that can be viewed as a true attempt to entertain the people rather than treating them as easy target lemmings to be milked for money. Amazon Prime Video scored the rights to a sequel that has been a loooooooooong time coming.

Coming to America was released June 26, 1988. The Oscar-nominated comedy directed by John Landis and starred Eddie Murphy, was a smash hit at the time while showcasing Murphy’s creative comical chops as he and costar Arsenio Hall, played multiple characters throughout. Practically everything about that movie came up roses, yet it was a one and done project. Here we are almost 33 years later and Akeem is Coming 2 America, AGAIN.

Despite 11,941 days passing between releases, Coming 2 America brings back the vast majority of its signature actors for this reunion of hilarity. Seriously, there are over twenty characters that first appeared in the original eager to bring smiles to your faces a second time around. In addition, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan and Wesley Snipes have been added to already impressive roster of talent. And those are only a few of the names you’ll see as there are cameos galore spread throughout.

Another worry that some (including me) might have is that the rating of this release is PG-13 versus the R rating that the original carried. I’m happy to say that it is a non-factor. There’s nothing that feels watered down in terms of the content that in any way, shape or form diminishes the enjoyment factor that director Craig Brewer brings in this new chapter. There’s a little less skin and fewer F-bombs, but Coming 2 America isn’t hurting because of it.

While this is still an Eddie Murphy/Arsenio Hall-centric film, their characters aren’t front and center as often as you think. With such an entertaining and talented cast, Coming 2 America does not suffer because of it. If anything, it keeps things fresh and you’re not burned out by familiar experiences and recycled jokes. That being said, there are huge nods paid to the first film throughout. So with that said, you might want to take a couple of hours and do a little refresher viewing of the first one which is also conveniently available on Prime Video.

While Coming 2 America is not without its flaws, the experience is overall a good one and it doesn’t feel like a waste of time. Coupling that with the fact that you’re not spending extra money to purchase tickets (again, assuming you have Amazon Prime), this is really a no-brainer to watch. I entered this movie with a skeptical mind and came away feeling relieved and entertained. There are nostalgic laughs to be had in addition to some newly created ones. You can check this one starting Friday, March 5.