Coming to America 1988
7.1 / 10
Coming to America
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.
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.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 43 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
... Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
... King Jaffe Joffer
... Cleo McDowell
... Lisa McDowell
... Landlord
User reviews
See All 4 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by Gimly
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._
Release Date:
Jun 29, 1988 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 57`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
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Coming to America
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._
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.
_**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+
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.
Cast & Crew of
Coming to America
Directors & Credit Writers
... Additional Second Assistant Director
... Second Assistant Director
TR
Tomaz Remec... Second Second Assistant Director
Cast
... Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
... Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
... King Jaffe Joffer
... Cleo McDowell
... Lisa McDowell
... Landlord
... Maurice
... Darryl Jenks
... Patrice McDowell
... Queen Aoleon
... Oha
... Hold-Up Man
... Randolph Duke / Homeless Man #1 (uncredited)
... Mortimer Duke / Homeless Man #2 (uncredited)
... Imani Izzi
... Colonel Izzi
... Rose Bearer #3
... Boy Getting Haircut
BMH
Birdie M. Hale... Elderly Passenger
... Basketball Game Vendor
Produced By
JLW
Janet L. Wattles... Production Accountant
MA
Martha Appel... Production Assistant
ML
Mark Lipsky... Executive Producer
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Coming to America
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