‘Coming 2 America’ Review: Eddie Murphy’s Sequel is an Enjoyable Return to Zamunda

At one point in Coming 2 America—which is finally coming to Amazon Prime tomorrow, after a long wait from fans—Jermaine Fowler chides Hollywood for making sequels to old movies that nobody asked for. His love interest, played by South African actor Nomzamo Mbatha, agrees. “If something is good, why ruin it?” they say, in unison.

If you’re of the same mindset of this fourth-wall-breaking joke, then the sequel to Eddie Murphy’s classic 1988 comedy isn’t for you. But if you, like me, have adopted more of a “Sure, why the hell not?” attitude toward the nostalgia-baiting sequels of popular ’80s movies, then Coming 2 America is enjoyable enough, even if it pales in comparison to the original.

You’ll definitely want to rewatch the first film (also streaming free on Prime) before you hit play on No. 2, because from the opening shot, Coming 2 America is chock-full of references. Prince Akeem Joffer (Murphy) and his wife Lisa (Shari Headley) are now 30 years older, but they still get treated to the royal wake-up call. This time, the three beautiful young women who bid Akeem good morning are not his royal bathers, but his daughters Princess Tinashe (Akiley Love), Princess Omma (Bella Murphy, the IRL-daughter of Eddie Murphy), and Princess Meeka (KiKi Layne). Akeem’s father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones, still going strong at 90) is disappointed by Akeem’s inability to produce a legitimate male offspring to inherit the throne—women are forbidden to rule in Zamunda. So he resorts to drastic measures: He tells Akeem he has a bastard son, conceived during a hazy drug-fueled night in Queens. King Jaffe dies shortly after, but not before he attends his own funeral, featuring cameos including Morgan Freeman, Salt-N-Pepa, and Gladys Knight. Akeem, now a king, decides to honor his father’s wishes and the patriarchal tradition of his country. He and his BFF Semmi (Arsenio Hall, who hasn’t aged a day) are headed back to America!

…And then they come right back to Zamunda. It takes all of ten minutes for Akeem to meet his son Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), Lavelle’s mother Mary (Leslie Jones), and Lavelle’s uncle Reem (Tracy Morgan). They also stop by the barbershop for a quick hello. This will no doubt be a welcome scene for fans, featuring Murphy and Hall in layers of make-up, slipping back into those hilarious character voices as if no time has passed at all. (That said, the magic is slightly ruined by some light transphobia—ugh.) But as soon as you start to settle into the familiar routine, Lavelle and his mom are whisked back to Zamunda, where we spend the remainder of the film.

Lavelle gets a crash course in how to be a prince, while his competent half-sister seethes that this idiot gets to inherit the throne instead of her. Meanwhile, Lisa disapproves of the man her husband has become. Though Akeem once defied Zamunda tradition to marry for love, now he is forcing an arranged marriage on his son in order to smooth over relations with a rival ruler, General Izzi (Wesley Snipes). But like father, like son—Lavelle’s heart belongs not to General Izzi’s daughter, but to his royal barber, Mirembe (Mbatha).

All of the above stays true to the tone of the original—a light touch, a great cast, and many, many silly jokes. But the difference is that we’ve heard at least half of these jokes before. Some are welcome repetitions, like John Amos insisting that the McDowell McStuffin sandwich is nothing like the McDonald’s McMuffin sandwich. (McDowell’s restaurant is in Zamunda now, sure.) Others, like a montage of clips from the original film, just make you want to watch the first movie instead. And, because the movie is rated PG-13 rather than R—and filmed in a studio in Atlanta rather than on location in New York City—Coming 2 America lacks the gritty realness that made the original stand out from other comedies. There is no “Fuck you, too!” moment, but Murphy did surprise a similar laugh out of me when he grumbled, “This is bullshit,” after tentatively asking his wife for sex.

Beyond a few gems like the above, Murphy leaves many of the jokes to his co-stars. That’s disappointing, especially because his other collaboration with Coming 2 America director Craig Brewer, Dolemite Is My Name, yielded such a great performance. But it’s fun to see everyone back in costume—and Brewer really did get nearly everyone back. The newcomers add their own humor: Leslie Jones is reliably hilarious, and it’s great to see Tracy Morgan back in action, complaining about the lack of Lunchables while his nephew gets mauled by lions. Fowler doesn’t quite have the same charm as a young Eddie Murphy, but his chemistry with Mbatha makes for a sweet love story that echoes the original. And who can say no to an evil Wesley Snipes?

If Coming 2 America had released in theaters, or on-demand for $19.99, I’m not sure it’d be worth it. But since it’s streaming free on Prime, and since you probably already have a subscription… Sure! It’s not the game-changer that the original was, but you’ll have some laughs. Why the hell not?

Watch Coming 2 America on Amazon Prime