Coming To America (1988)
He's looking for his princess in Queens
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos (I), Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, Paul Bates (I), Eriq La Salle, Frankie Faison, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Louie Anderson (I), Allison Dean, Sheila Johnson, Jake Steinfeld, Calvin Lockhart, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: John Landis
Running Time: 112 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 15
Comedy, Romance
On DVD Hear anyone use the terms 'Soul Glow' or 'Sexual Chocolate', and chances are they're a fan of 'Coming to America'. I should know - I'm one of them.
Interestingly, here Eddie Murphy works largely without his seemingly requisite wisecracks and expletives, yet produces arguably the finest comic performance of his career. He's the likable Prince Akeem, tired of having petals thrown at his feet, his shoelaces tied for him and his privates hand-washed by beautiful maidens (well, actually he quite likes that last one). Faced with an impending fixed marriage in his fictional African homeland of Zamunda, Akeem opts to jet across to the other side of the globe in search of a woman who'll love him not just for his fortune.
So, accompanied by his less-than-enthusiastic servant Semmi (Arsenio Hall), Akeem shacks up in a decrepit New York apartment block (it's in Queens, and he's looking for a future Queen - geddit?) and gets a job mopping floors in a wannabe-MacDonald's burger joint. There Akeem meets and inevitably goes all gooey over the boss' daughter Lisa (Shari Headley), the only problem being that she's already dating the smarmy heir to a hairspray empire (hilariously played by 'ER''s Eriq La Salle).
This was the first (and best) Murphy movie to see him hand the make-up department copious amounts of over-time by playing a string of different characters himself. Hall also gets in on the act, and steals the show whenever slipping into the guise of the fantastically enthusiastic Reverend Brown ('If loving the Lord is wrong, then I don't wanna be right!').
A nice touch is added with the brief inclusion of Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy as Mortimer and Randolph, the swindling old codgers given their just desserts in 'Trading Places', Murphy's previous project with director John Landis.
DVD Extras: Just a trailer
It's Got: Samuel L. Jackson in an early appearance as an armed robber, and a VERY brief appearance by a young Cuba Gooding Jnr as 'Boy Getting Hair Cut'.
It Needs: A better package for DVD-buyers - is one piddly trailer really the best they can offer?
Alternatives: Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, Bowfinger
Summary: A charming, polished and original comedy featuring a great performance from Murphy and some memorable laughs.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 2nd July 2003
External Links
Coming To America at the IMDB
Comments1 Comment |
| Eddie Murphy is at his best in this enduring comedy classic. Arsenio Hall also makes good on his talents as the two men star in about 50 supporting roles as various inhabitants of Queens, New York. I wish Murphy would make more movies like this one, instead of reverting to the kid stuff he does now... |
| Comment by:- gilletbd1977 | www.thedvdreport.com/dvd_revie... | 19 January 2005 | ip: logged |
