![]() This was shot at Tyler Perry Studios, so perhaps I’m not wrong. Lavelle and his family seem lifted from a Madea movie. Fowler has little of the sweetness or joy Murphy brought to his first visit to Queens. Don’t get me wrong-I’d still move to Zamunda in a heartbeat despite its man-eating lions (who get a supporting role here)-but Lavelle is no Prince Akeem. Everything in this film’s Zamunda is primarily a figment of its screenwriters’ imagination, and as a result, much is lost in terms of relatable humor. Much of the comedy in “Coming to America” stemmed from Akeem’s role as the audience’s stand-in, navigating a world we were already familiar with and responding in a bemused, practically innocent fashion. Queens is a real place, and the neighborhood Akeem found himself in was full of characters, locales, and situations that would be familiar to Black viewers. Once Lavelle gets to Zamunda, “Coming 2 America” plays the original’s story by swapping the locations for its young hero. I can only imagine that, had this film been rated R instead of the punk-ass PG-13 it’s saddled with, this scene would have ended with a trip to “The Maury Show.” All the Judsons, including father figure Uncle Reem ( Tracy Morgan), are willing to buy this strange man saying he’s Lavelle’s daddy once they realize how rich Zamunda is. After Baba (Arsenio Hall, again) reveals the prophecy of a male heir and Semmi corroborates it, Akeem drags Semmi back to Queens to pick up Lavelle. If Akeem had a male heir, he could marry her. General Izzi has a daughter, Bopoto ( Teyana Taylor), whose entrance in the film is nothing short of incredible. Izzi’s son is a possible match for Meeka, but she wants no part of him, thereby failing to unite the two kingdoms. Yes, she’s still barking like a dog and hopping on one foot. That fabled land is ruled by General Izzi ( Wesley Snipes), brother of Imani Izzi ( Vanessa Bell Calloway), the woman Akeem was betrothed to in the first film. Akeem’s Dad, King Jaffe Joffer ( James Earl Jones) is literally on his deathbed and is worried that his only son is so “soft” that “he’ll be assassinated in a week” by the leader of Zamunda’s rival nation, Nextdoria. ![]() Akeem has three daughters and no sons, meaning that whomever marries his eldest Meeka (Kiki Layne), will inherit the throne, as Zamunda has a “Kings Only” law. The “bastard son,” as Akeem keeps calling him, is Lavelle ( Jermaine Fowler), a 31-year-old trying to make his way in the world. If you don’t think this is gonna inspire a million thinkpieces, I have a barbershop in Queens I’d like to sell you. Mary gets Akeem so high he can’t remember what happened to him and voila, the instant heir nobody knew about/plot device is born. ![]() ![]() Semmi ( Arsenio Hall) meets Mary Judson ( Leslie Jones) and her friend at this club and, in an attempt to sleep with the friend, drags an inebriated Akeem back to Mary’s place. The filmmakers retrofit this into the original’s narrative by re-editing that awesome nightclub scene, the one with MC Peaches and that woman who worshipped the Devil. And a comedy might be in trouble if you’re spending half of it wondering if a character has been sexually assaulted.Īs the trailers tell you, Prince Akeem has a son he never knew about in America. There’s another against-all-odds love story, but this time, the lovers are far less interesting and charismatic than Akeem and Lisa ( Shari Headley). A sense of familiarity is often enough to keep the movie coasting on a sea of goodwill, but some of the plot ideas are bound to raise a few eyebrows and lower a few eyelids. Blaustein and David Sheffield team up with Kenya Barris to hit the same plot beats that made the first film so much fun. Director Craig Brewer does the film no favors by flashing back to clips from the original, and screenwriters Barry W. Because even if you enjoy this completely unnecessary trip back to Zamunda, “Coming 2 America” cannot compete with its predecessor. Just know that, once you pay, you will only be disappointed by everything else if you are a fan of the original film. Carter’s costumes are worth the price of admission.
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