Where to watch Coming 2 America
2 1/2 Stars
Coming 2 America continues the recent trend of sequilizing franchises from the ’70s and ’80s. This includes some successful attempts (Creed, The Force Awakens, Shaft) but mostly features a series of embarrassing entries (Die Hard 5, The Last Jedi, Terminator: Dark Fate). The sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 smash, Coming 2 America, arrives 33 years after the original film debuted to astronomical grosses. This follow-up film is loving made and clever in spots, credit is due for reassembling virtually every original cast member, but the benign humor and mundane plot is far tamer than what we expect in an Eddie Murphy comedy.
Eddie Murphy is left stranded in the film. The script forces him into the role of the straight man, while letting skilled comedians Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, and even Arsenio Hall provide the laughs. Where is the dynamic charisma that Murphy showed in My Name is Dolemite? Once again the highlight of the picture is witnessing the myriad of characters that Hall and Murphy bring to life. In these moments Eddie Murphy and the picture come to life and display the undeniable brilliance of the greatest screen comedian of all time.
Director: Craig Brewer
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Wesley Snipes,