Rating of
3/4
Coming to America review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 07/31/11
Eddie Murphy has been one of the funniest comedians around. The performers include Arsenio Hall (with 4 roles mainly Semmi), James Earl Jones as King Joffer, Madge Sinclair as Queen Aoleon, Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell and John Amos as Cleo McDowell, the owner of the McDonalds ripoff McDowells. A Prince from Zamunda tries to find a bride in America, Queens New York to be specific since it the prince says "What better place to find a queen than the city of Queens?." Eddie Murphy stretches his acting ability with 4 roles before his role Nutty Professor began. He became Prince Akeem, Clarence, Randy Watson and Saul. Coming to America has probably one of the best comedic scenes on film. The servants aiding the prince in his usual morning routines of brushing his teeth and bathing him was hilarious. The dance number in which Paula Abdul choreographed coupled with the realistic make-up was nominated in the Academy Awards. Its plot is simple yet fun and touching in a sense. Semmi and Prince Akeem work as blue-collar workers at McDowells since Lisa had a profound effect on the Prince.
The pace of the film was fast. Almost every scene had humor injected and some lessons we can learn from. One has to be themselves before entering a relationship. Having all the money and material things doesn’t make you loveable if you don’t have a pleasant personality. The only few qualms I had was the soundtrack and scene where they date women with a myriad of lifestyles. If only this was written better, then I could have made this a 4 star film. Yes the film exaggerates the characters, but does it have to include the women they met? The profanity was likewise a bit disturbing even too much at certain scenes. Other than that, if you’re in a mood to laugh, watch talented dancers/singer perform, plush costume designs, romantic and silly movie then pop in Coming to America’s DVD, the special features are worth viewing. Lastly, there are a few well-known actors in the barber shop that may seem familiar.
