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Coming 2 America Review

Coming 2 America Review
The wait is finally over. Coming 2 America is here after 30 years since Coming to America first aired on our screens back in 1988. This is a sequel that we might never have asked for, but one we certainly needed. The film sees Eddie Murphy back in the role of Prince Akeem of Zamunda. On his 30th wedding anniversary to wife Lisa (played by the incredible Shari Headley), Akeem learns of a ‘bastard son’ he never knew he had. The prince must return to America (again) to meet his unexpected heir to the throne and create a bond with him for the sake of Zamunda’s future.

A lot can change in cinema after 30 years and you can definitely see that here. With technology being at its peak and the film probably having a slightly better budget than its predecessor, the film is more vibrant and bold than ever before. It
See full article at HeyUGuys »

Coming 2 America Fans Celebrate Wesley Snipes for Stealing the Show as General Izzi

Coming 2 America Fans Celebrate Wesley Snipes for Stealing the Show as General Izzi
After a decades long wait, Coming 2 America recently premiered on Amazon Prime Video, and many fans say it's Wesley Snipes who steals the show as new character General Izzi. Serving as a direct sequel to Coming to America, the new movie brings back Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall to reprise their many roles from the original. Even so, it appears to be the original character played by Snipes that a lot of viewers enjoyed seeing the most.

"Wesley Snipes stole the show for me! Him and is Step Team," one fan writes on Twitter.

#Coming2America Wesley Snipes stole the show for me! Him and is Step Team. pic.twitter.com/ww2vmjm7VK

— Ayokari Hoyes (@AyoSoJoyful) March 5, 2021

"The best part of this movie is Wesley Snipes. This man funny," another fan posted.

The best part of this movie is Wesley Snipes
See full article at MovieWeb »

‘Coming 2 America’: How Director Craig Brewer Justifies Telling Black Stories as a White Filmmaker

‘Coming 2 America’: How Director Craig Brewer Justifies Telling Black Stories as a White Filmmaker
Craig Brewer is a white filmmaker not unaccustomed to Black-centered stories. Barring his 2000 indie debut, “The Poor & Hungry,” and his 2011 “Footloose” remake, his films predominantly feature African-American protagonists. Brewer based his Memphis-set Southern rap drama “Hustle & Flow” on his friendships with hip-hop artists Al Kapone, Juicy J, and DJ Paul. (John Singleton produced the film.) The blaxploitation-influenced “Black Snake Moan,” whose framed poster features a provocative, menacing Samuel L. Jackson standing over a chained daisy-duke wearing Christina Ricci, peaks from behind Brewer’s shoulder, while hanging on his wall.

Brewer is still riding high from his first Eddie Murphy collaboration — the widely successful “Dolemite Is My Name,” a light-hearted biopic of blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore that garnered the best reviews of the filmmaker’s career while ushering a comeback for Murphy. An ‘80s cinema fanatic, “The Breakfast Club” and “Purple Rain” greatly impacted the Memphis filmmaker, as did
See full article at Indiewire »

‘Coming 2 America’: Eddie Murphy Returns in This Loving Send-up and Long-Awaited Sequel

‘Coming 2 America’: Eddie Murphy Returns in This Loving Send-up and Long-Awaited Sequel
Photo: ‘Coming 2 America’/Amazon Studios ‘Coming 2 America’ has an opening sequence that may strike you as old-fashioned, with its sweeping aerial footage, grand orchestral score, and fade-in-and-out credits. Of course, if you revisited the original ‘Coming to America’ in anticipation of its sequel, you’d see the immediate resemblance--the original opens in exactly the same way, except its painted-set Xanadu-esque depiction of Zamunda is replaced by modern CGI and Rick Ross’ Georgia megamansion. Much of the film pays direct homage to its predecessor in this way, and it’s actually quite charming to see such a thorough cast reunion after 33 years--not only do Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reprise their starring roles as Prince Akeem of Zamunda and confidante Semmi, but so do a myriad of supporting cast members including Shari Headley, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Louie Anderson, and Vanessa Bell Calloway. Even the film’s original writers returned,
See full article at Hollywood Insider »

Coming 2 America: Fitfully funny (Ians Review; Rating: * * and 1/2)

Coming 2 America: Fitfully funny (Ians Review; Rating: * * and 1/2)
Coming 2 America (film on Amazon Prime); Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Teyana Taylor, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones; Direction: Craig Brewer; Rating: * * and 1/2 (two and a half stars)

By Vinayak Chakravorty

You'd be okay with all that goes on if you loved the first film. Coming 2 America essentially tries to be more of the same. Which is what most sequels do, except that this one comes a good 33 years after the original released.

Back in 1988 when Coming To America released, Eddie Murphy was a superstar. Revisiting a brand of comedy that seemed cool over three decades ago can be a tough deal, and Murphy is obviously banking on his fan base of yore to sail through.

Well, one thing is clear. At 59, Murphy has lost none of the vim. He strikes vintage form with comic timing and reloads the infectious,
See full article at GlamSham »

Movie Review | Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall bring the fun back to Zamunda

Movie Review | Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall bring the fun back to Zamunda
Coming 2 America movie review is here. The 2021 American comedy film serves as a sequel to the original 1988 film starring Eddie Murphy. Directed by Craig Brewer from a screenplay by Kenya Barris, Barry W Blaustein and David Sheffield, Coming 2 America is based on characters created by Eddie Murphy. The second installment in the Coming to America film series stars Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Teyana Taylor, Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones.

Originally to be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures, the film's distribution rights were sold to Amazon Studios due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Coming 2 America is released on Prime Video on March 5, 2021.

Coming 2 America Movie Review

Those who have treasured the 1988 comedy which is now a classic on its own, some may even call it as a cult will obviously have a level of expectations from its
See full article at GlamSham »

Coming 2 America – Review

Coming 2 America – Review
Now that all that nasty February snow has finally melted away, many minds are filled with thoughts of travel, perhaps to an exotic destination. Or could you be yearning to revisit an old familiar spot, somewhere filled with laughter and dear friends from long ago? Sure with the vaccines rolling out, things are looking a lot brighter than last March (the last theatre advance screening was exactly a year to the weekend), but you may want to hold off before hitting those “getaway” websites. Why not combine those desires into a virtual reunion, mostly set in an exotic land that’s been in your movie dreams for nearly 33 years? That’s the major selling point for this weekend’s highly anticipated sequel. After his more-or-less traditional “final fade-out” happy ending in 1988, Prince Akeem boards the royal jet for Queens, NY for Coming 2 America.

For the most part, Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy
See full article at WeAreMovieGeeks.com »

‘Coming 2 America’ Drops One Day Early

‘Coming 2 America’ Drops One Day Early
“Coming 2 America,” the long-awaited sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 “Coming to America,” has released early on Amazon Prime. Originally, the pic was set to drop on the streaming service on Friday.

The sequel to John Landis’ hit comedy follows Prince Akeem (Murphy), who is set to become the king of the fictional country of Zamunda, an African kingdom untouched by colonialism, and finds out he has a son he never knew about — a street-savvy Queens native, Lavelle. To honor the former king’s (James Earl Jones) dying wish to raise his grandson as the crown prince, Akeem, and Semmi (Arsenio Hall), once again leave for America. The star-studded cast also includes Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes and Shari Headley.

Originally set for release in theaters from Paramount Pictures, the film’s distribution rights were sold to Amazon Studios in October due to the pandemic.

The film has received mixed reviews so far,
See full article at Variety »

Film Review: Back in the U-s-sa! On-Air Review of ‘Coming 2 America’

Film Review: Back in the U-s-sa! On-Air Review of ‘Coming 2 America’
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on March 4th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Coming 2 America,” streaming on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 5th, 2021.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

He’s back! African Prince Akeem of Zamunda (Eddie Murphy) is about to be king, and worries that he doesn’t have a son … Zamunda requires a male heir, and he has three daughters. But when he finds out he actually has a son (Jermaine Fowler) back in America, after having had a brief fling with Mary (Leslie Jones) back in 1988, he goes back with sidekick Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to retrieve his son, to train him to be King.

“Coming 2 America” will stream on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 5th. Featuring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan. Screenplay by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield.
See full article at HollywoodChicago.com »

‘Coming 2 America’ Sows More Than Its Royal Oats

‘Coming 2 America’ Sows More Than Its Royal Oats
I don’t envy the job of anyone tasked with taking a classic Eighties comedy — Coming to America, say — and making a decades-later sequel that tries to please its guaranteed audience. Namely, everyone who loved the original, people who’ve rewatched it a million times, who have Soul Glo memes saved on their phones, who know every word to Sexual Chocolate’s song who — as in my case — grew up in families where Coming to America was probably the only consensus movie that everyone from my grandmother down to myself
See full article at Rolling Stone »

‘Coming 2 America’ Review: Eddie Murphy Sequel Feels More Like a Low-Key Remake

‘Coming 2 America’ Review: Eddie Murphy Sequel Feels More Like a Low-Key Remake
Before Wakanda, there was Zamunda, the fictional African kingdom Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem stood to inherit in “Coming to America.” As depicted in John Landis’ hit 1988 comedy, Zamunda was a country untouched by colonialism, where Black culture was celebrated as never before on-screen. In particular, its multifaceted showcase of African fashion, music and dance are exquisite, and throwaway jokes (like the Soul Glo TV spot) remain quotable to this day.

Alas, many critics dismissed the movie as a trite fairy tale at the time, failing to grasp the radical novelty that Zamunda represented to Black audiences. Thirty years later, they wouldn’t dare make the same mistake with “Black Panther,” recognizing that film’s exuberant Afrocentrism as what set it apart from other Marvel movies. But Eddie Murphy got there first, and now, in the golden years of the Golden Child’s career, the comic is cashing in once again.
See full article at Variety »

Coming 2 America Review: Bland Comedy Sequel Extinguishes the Fire of the Original

Coming 2 America Review: Bland Comedy Sequel Extinguishes the Fire of the Original
Coming to America’s lovely opening shot descends through clouds, down to the fictional African country of Zamunda as Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s “Mbube (Wimoweh)” echoes across the vast horizon. It’s one of the most beautiful openings in a 1980s studio film, evoking a real sense of collective harmony in the most effortless way. The proceeding, foul-mouthed romantic comedy is of course anything but tranquil. Facing an arranged marriage he does not believe in, the nation’s pampered young prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) defies all cultural and traditional norms and visits Queens, NY, hoping to discover true love.

The flimsy narrative switcheroo concocted for its sequel, Coming 2 America—directed by Craig Brewer, who reunites with Murphy after Dolemite Is My Name—contains none of the original film’s overt criticism and anger about capitalism, greed, and consumerism. It doubles down on the fish-out-of-water scenario, this time involving Akeem and
See full article at The Film Stage »

Movie Review – Coming 2 America (2021)

Movie Review – Coming 2 America (2021)
Coming 2 America, 2021. Directed by Craig Brewer. Starring Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Shari Headley, Teyana Taylor, Michael Blackson, Louie Anderson, Paul Bates, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, KiKi Layne, Rick Ross, John Amos, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Tracy Morgan, Clint Smith, Rotimi, Nomzamo Mbatha, Luenell, Bella Murphy, Trevor Noah, and Morgan […]

The post Movie Review – Coming 2 America (2021) appeared first on Flickering Myth.
See full article at Flickeringmyth »

‘Coming 2 America’ Film Review: Eddie Murphy Plays the Hits in Rote Sequel

‘Coming 2 America’ Film Review: Eddie Murphy Plays the Hits in Rote Sequel
Every so often, we get sequels that move a story forward, that enrich beloved characters and the world they inhabit, or that upends and deconstructs the first movie entirely. But most of the time, we get safe, stodgy, repetitive follow-ups like “Coming 2 America,” which goes out of its way to make sure that every joke from the first movie comes out to take another bow.

If there’s any gag from 1988’s “Coming to America” that director Craig Brewer can’t reprise or restage, he will literally roll the clip from the first movie so we can take it in all over again. This feels less like a movie and more like one of those reunion specials where the cast of a beloved old TV show returns to play their characters again, recreating their pratfalls and repeating their catchphrases.

Viewers who weren’t amused by “Coming to America” certainly
See full article at The Wrap »

‘Coming 2 America’ Review: Eddie Murphy Offers the Right Kind of Fan Service in Funny-Enough Sequel

‘Coming 2 America’ Review: Eddie Murphy Offers the Right Kind of Fan Service in Funny-Enough Sequel
It’s hard to imagine a comedy like “Coming to America” getting made today, which means that only Eddie Murphy could resurrect it. Anyone unfamiliar with that movie’s legacy — and, 33 years on, those people are really missing out — will find “Coming 2 America,” the long-awaited followup, amusing in parts. Those who adore the original, however, will feel like they’ve been revisited by an old friend, or perhaps the dirty uncle, whose jokes are a bit frayed but still pointed enough. Produced at a time when big, brash studio comedies rarely crack the zeitgeist,

Released in 1988 at the height of Murphy’s popularity, “Coming to America” blended satire and fairy tale romance through the sheer power of Murphy’s screen presence. In director John Landis’ hands, the absurdist plight of the African prince from the fictional Zamunda, who bucks tradition by falling in love with an American woman he
See full article at Indiewire »

Coming 2 America review – Eddie Murphy comes up gasping for heir

Coming 2 America review – Eddie Murphy comes up gasping for heir
Murphy is back as the Zamundan prince seeking his son in the US, in this tired sequel to the 80s comedy hit

Did we need a sequel to Eddie Murphy’s fish-out-of-water 1980s romp Coming to America – with the word “to” transformed into a “2”? Will this trigger wacky sequel ideas for Bergman’s Face to Face, or Kurosawa’s To Live?

The original movie, directed by John Landis, had Murphy as the discontented Prince Akeem of the fictional African state Zamunda, obedient to his sonorous father the king (James Earl Jones), but yearning for a modern, independent-minded bride. So he travels to Queens, New York with his pal Semmi (whose name doesn’t get the obvious gag despite the nonstop sexual innuendo), played by Arsenio Hall. Posing as students, they encounter various latexed comedy characters – barbers, barbershop customers, etc, played by Murphy and Hall themselves – and Akeem finally finds happiness with Lisa,
See full article at The Guardian - Film News »

Coming 2 America Review: Eddie Murphy’s Zamunda Needs New Blood

Coming 2 America Review: Eddie Murphy’s Zamunda Needs New Blood
Before watching Coming 2 America, try to think of some successful comedy sequels. If the best you can conjure up is Wayne’s World 2 or 22 Jump Street then that really speaks for itself, doesn’t it? More difficult than the traditional comedy sequel is the many-years-too-late variety of retread. Just ask Zoolander 2 or Dumb and Dumber To. Rehashing the same jokes and running them into the ground, reusing the old beloved catchphrases, and hitting the same story beats typically set comedy sequels up for failure, no matter how nostalgic audiences may be for the original. For every Borat 2, there are 10 Hangover 2s.

The team behind Coming 2 America knows this. They even acknowledge it with a joke in the movie. It’s obvious that the everyone involved with Coming 2 America, including returning stars Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, director Craig Brewer, and screenwriters Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein,
See full article at Den of Geek »

Coming 2 America 2 Will Be Here Tomorrow On Amazon Prime

Coming 2 America 2 Will Be Here Tomorrow On Amazon Prime
In 1988 a comedy film called Coming 2 America was released to critical acclaim. The film would star Eddie Murphy who was all ready a household name due to his stand up specials and Arsenio Hall. The film would feature a star studded cast alongside Murphy including, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Samuel L. Jackson. The film broke barriers and was one of the first time’s you got to see Murphy and Arsenio under a lot of different prosthetics playing a variety of different characters. The sequel to Coming 2 America will be released tomorrow on Amazon Prime and we are so looking forward to checking it out. The sequel will see a lot of the characters return from the first film and it will be interesting to see what these characters have been up to after all these years. The film will follow The African monarch Akeem learns he
See full article at Age of the Nerd »

Ranked! From Best to Worst: Eddie Murphy

Ranked! From Best to Worst: Eddie Murphy
In the first of a new series called Ranked!, I check out the films of Eddie Murphy – running down his very best to his very worst… All in anticipation of the release of Coming 2 America, which is released tomorrow, Friday March 5th 2021, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York – where it all began.

Coming 2 America is directed by Craig Brewer and stars Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, with Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones; and John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Bella Murphy.

Also check out our coverage of Coming 2 America right here.
See full article at Nerdly »

Coming to America: The Secret Shared Cinematic Universe You Forgot About

Coming to America: The Secret Shared Cinematic Universe You Forgot About
When one thinks about 1988’s Coming to America, a few things stand out: James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair as the King and Queen of Zamunda speaking to their son Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) at a breakfast table with intercom radios; the opulence of Zamunda’s palace, which represented an idealized African nation to 1980s audiences the way Wakanda does today; and of course Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s Semmi fresh off the plane in Queens, New York with no idea what “common” means—or also Murphy and Hall under pounds of makeup as the argumentative old-timers at the nearby barbershop.

The film has many great elements that make it a comedy classic. However, what’s often overlooked is that the picture is not-so-secretly part of a shared cinematic universe. Indeed, Coming to America is the film which confirmed several of director John Landis’ films all occur in the same
See full article at Den of Geek »
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