Coming to America

6/29/19881h 57m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ This summer, Prince Akeem discovers America. ~

Overview:

An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.

Director:

John Landis

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$30,000,000.00

Revenue:

$288,752,301.00

Key words:

new york city
fast food restaurant
prince
fake identity
heir to the throne
royal family
fish out of water
rich man
searching for love
rich family
satirical
pretending to be poor
absurd
hilarious
ambiguous
amused
exhilarated
familiar
melodramatic
african american romance
african american lead
african royalty

Cast

Eddie Murphy

~ as ~

Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul

Arsenio Hall

~ as ~

Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown

Shari Headley

~ as ~

Lisa McDowell

John Amos

~ as ~

Cleo McDowell

James Earl Jones

~ as ~

King Jaffe Joffer

Madge Sinclair

~ as ~

Queen Aoleon

Eriq La Salle

~ as ~

Darryl Jenks

Allison Dean

~ as ~

Patrice McDowell

Frankie Faison

~ as ~

Landlord

Louie Anderson

~ as ~

Maurice

View full cast & crew

Reviews (5)

Gimly
Written 6 year(s) ago
5
Hasn't aged flawlessly, made some stylistic decisions that probably would have come across as weird even at the time, and not the sort of thing (American comedy) that typically appeals to me. But I can still absolutely see why Coming to America is remembered as fondly as it is. I liked it by and large more than the most similar offerings of today.

Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal.
r96sk
Written 4 year(s) ago
7
I didn't enjoy it as much as expected, but 'Coming to America' is nevertheless still good.

Eddie Murphy is unsurprisingly the star of the film. Any notable scenes include him, which isn't a shock given the obvious and the fact he plays a number of characters; on that note, only Akeem amused me - the barber shop guys... not so much, to be honest.

James Earl Jones (Jaffe), John Amos (Cleo) and Frankie Faison (landlord) are the most noteworthy in terms of those away from the lead, while there is even an appearance from someone named Samuel L. Jackson - what ever happened to that guy?!

I wanted/anticipated much stronger humour, if only due to Murphy's presence. I can't say I laughed that much, which is disappointing. The romance parts are probably more memorable to me, even if it's kinda familiar in those regards. With all that said, I can see why loads thoroughly enjoy this - it just didn't fully land on me, personally.

Still worth viewing and I'm very much up to see the sequel.
Wuchak
Written 4 year(s) ago
10
My all-time favorite comedy

In "Coming to America" (1988) Eddie Murphy plays the likable prince of a rich African kingdom, Akeem. He comes to Queens to find his future queen accompanied by his best friend & servant, Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. He understandably wants a wife who will love him for who he is and not for his great riches. So they get hired at McDowell's, a McDonald's knock-off, where he meets the shining daughter of the owner (Shari Headley). Is she the one? Will she find a fast-food mop boy appealing enough to marry?

As noted in my title blurb, "Coming to America" is my all-time favorite comedy. Why? Simply because it's a laugh-riot from beginning to end. The first time I saw it was on TV in 2000 and I couldn't stop laughing; I saw it again last night (after purchasing it) and it had the same effect.

Everything works here -- the characters, the jokes, the story -- to make "Coming to America" one of the greatest comedies ever made.

GRADE: A+
Kamurai
Written 4 year(s) ago
7
Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.

A very good approach to a "Pauper and Prince" trope mix with a culture shock trope. The excellent cast involved really takes it a long way with good writing to help it along.

It's admittedly not a very original story structure, so while it is not all that refreshingly unpredictable, but it's good to see a foreign royalty in an American setting, and an African one at that.

I do think this is consistently funny and has maintained over 30 years, so definitely check this out if you haven't.
t
tmdb55527033
Written 1 year(s) ago
~~
Coming to America is a classic 80's comedy with excellent performances by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The film's humor holds up well over time, and the duo's ability to portray a variety of different characters is impressive. While some aspects of the film may be dated, it remains a hilarious and heartwarming story about love and acceptance. Overall, Coming to America is a timeless classic and one of the greatest comedies of the 80’s. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh.