MANILA, PHILIPPINES — “This is true about sequels,” notes the character Mirembe (Nomzamo Mbatha) in Coming 2 America. “If something is good, why ruin it?” Probably the most loved movie in the long film career of Eddie Murphy is 1988’s Coming to America. That film directed by John Landis presented a story of an African prince leaving his country of birth to escape decades of tradition in order to find true love in New York City. It became a comedy classic, with scenes and lines quoted worldwide by generations of fans.
Almost instantly, Murphy was deluged with requests for a sequel as people wondered what would happen to Prince Akeem of Zamunda. Murphy had refused to do so for decades but finally, he relented, and Coming 2 America was released on Amazon Prime on March 4. Does it measure up to the massive hit that the first film was?
Prince Akeem has been enjoying his life since returning to Zamunda. Ruling alongside his wife Lisa (Shari Headley), his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones) continues to rule the land while his three daughters Meeka (Kiki Layne), Omma (Bella Murphy), and Tinashe (Akiley Love) are beautiful and smart. Tensions begin to rise, however, as King Jaffe warns that he won’t be alive much longer and a male heir is needed for the monarchy to continue.
It turns out that on his last trip to New York City, Akeem’s best friend Semmi (Arsenio Hall) propositioned Mary Junson (Leslie Jones) into sleeping with him without while drugged. Mary ended up having a son, Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), who can be installed as crown prince to save the royal line was well as counter the militaristic plans of Zamunda’s neighbor, Nexdorian General Izzi (Wesley Snipes).
Akeem and Semmi fly back to New York to meet Mary and Lavelle, who is making a living as a ticket scalper. Along the way, they bump into several familiar faces from their first trip 33 years earlier. Following the passing of King Jaffe, Akeem becomes king and prepares Lavelle to be prince, disappointing Meeka who has been training to be ruler of Zamunda since childhood. With Nexdoria threatening invasion, General Izzi proposes a marriage between Lavelle and his daughter Bopoto (Teyana Taylor), something that Lavelle learns was Akeem’s fate three decades earlier.
Even as Lavelle shows he is worthy of being ruler of Zamunda, he becomes uncomfortable with royal life and would rather marry someone he loves. Akeem insists on what has been tradition for centuries, but Lisa reminds him that he once went against those same traditions when they fell in love. Realizing how he has become part of the establishment he once fought against, Akeem must then re-establish ties with his lost son, appreciate the daughters he already has, and stave off the advances of Gen. Izzi’s forces.
The good news is that the nostalgia factor is very strong in Coming 2 America. Seeing beloved characters like Akeem, Lisa, Semmi, and even the barbers in Queens played by Murphy and Hall as well as other characters they portrayed was like seeing old friends once more after a very long time. In that sense, the film has the feeling of a high school reunion. The additions of Snipes, Jones, and Tracy Morgan as Uncle Reem didn’t feel forced and actually felt like welcome add-ons to an already rich meal.
Taking the story further by introducing a new generation of Zamundans and New Yorkers could have doomed this second film, but very luckily, Fowler, Mbatha, Layne, and the younger actors weren’t annoying or over the top but were actually endearing and engaging in their respective performances. The story of Lavelle trying to find his way in the world then trying to earn the approval of his father is relatable to many, and his reflection back on Akeem’s previous adventure gives some emotional gravitas to the prince after 33 years.
In the case of Princess Meeka and her struggle to be worthy of her nation’s leadership, it’s almost a story straight out of today’s headlines as countries like Japan have been struggling with the possibility of having a woman become empress because Emperor Naruhito has just one daughter. By showing Meeka and her sisters as smart, skillful, and more than capable as warriors, King Akeem himself had to adjust his old way of thinking.
Make no mistake, Coming 2 America was made for fans of its progenitor in mind and it clearly delivers the laughs and good vibes for those same fans. In a world where Black Lives Matter was largely controversial for the past year and more, this film from Eddie Murphy presents a hopeful if not idyllic image of what can happen for Black America.
