Thirty-three years after “Coming to America,” Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley and nonagenarian James Earl Jones still look great. But writers Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield – along with newcomer Kenya Barris – obviously weren’t polishing fresh jokes in the interim.
As I watched “Coming 2 America” (Amazon Prime) move between its vibrant dance numbers and sitcommy not-quite-humor as it repeats the same story for the next generation, I thought “I bet the outtakes will be the best part.”
Short on big laughs
Indeed, the closing credits include outtakes, but even they aren’t that funny. Don’t get me wrong, “C2A” has spirit. Director Craig Brewer’s film is not unpleasant to watch, but I can’t think of a hilarious moment, even having just finished the movie.
“Coming to America 2” (2021)
Director: Craig Brewer
Writers: Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, David Sheffield
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
The pleasures come from callbacks to the original, but the thrills of seeing the old barbershop gang and other makeup-and-prosthetics creations from Murphy and Hall are fleeting.
The engaging fish-out-of-water premise of 1988 is now the foundation for a lightweight effort that reminds me of those Netflix movies about fictional royalty.
Staying in Zamunda
Part of why “C2A” is short on verve is that most of the action takes place in Zamunda, a purposely ridiculous place that isn’t meant to represent any real African nation. It’s a mix between African stereotypes and American black culture – goofily delightful the first time around, but now essentially the setting of a Disney prince movie.
When King Akeem (Murphy) travels to Queens, it’s for two brief visits, not long enough for him to experience 21st century American youth culture and be shocked. The three writers remarkably pass on this potentially rich vein of humor.
The displacement happens the other way. Akeem’s long-lost son, Lavelle Junson (Jermaine Fowler), is a lower-class New Yorker experiencing royal-court pampering. His mom, Mary, is played by “SNL’s” big and brash Leslie Jones, so you can already picture the culture-clash humor. The fact that Mary is mildly amusing rather than annoying is a credit to Jones’ ability to meter her performance.
In lieu of depth, “C2A” piles on cameos, and since this is the backbone rather than a garnish, I won’t spoil them here. Suffice it to say that Murphy has lots of celebrity friends.
Nice movie to look at
Like most films nowadays, “C2A” was shot in the good ole Atlanta area, and it’s never hard to look at, although I don’t get much sense that Queens and Zamunda are different places. (Heck, the latter includes a McDowell’s now.)
Sets, costumes, hair, etc., are on point, and there’s no shortage of attractive young women in Akeem’s court, or that of General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), leader of Nexdoria (a prime example of a fleetingly cute “C2A” joke).
Nomzamo Mbatha’s Mirembe emerges as Lavelle’s love interest, and KiKi Layne’s Meeka gets some attention as Akeem’s oldest daughter, who might be bumped out of the royal line. Rather than a layered political problem, it will only take the stroke of Akeem’s pen to solve it – one of the nice things about a monarchy.
The music and dance numbers are fun, even when it’s Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” one dancer declares. I’m not going to join in the chorus of people celebrating “Coming 2 America,” a low-stakes, family friendly trifle with an unnecessarily great cast.
I’m going to think about its existence to the same degree King Joffer frets over the Zumundan law banning women from owning businesses. That is to say: Not at all.