In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy manufactured a string
of Hollywood blockbusters culminated in his 1988 comedy Coming To
America. As far comedies go, this one's as good as it gets. Clever
and witty, its hilarity only grows with time. Unlike most modern day
comedies, it doesn’t rely on outlandish physical humor, fart jokes,
or other toilet bowl humor for laughs. Instead, it creates a
somewhat realistic plotline ripe with one-liners, eccentric
characters, and perfect comedic delivery on the part of its cast.
Headlined by Murphy, audiences will enjoy an all-star cast that
includes such faces as Arsenio Hall, Louie Anderson, Samuel L.
Jackson, and many others. Inevitably, any objective viewer would
have to rate Coming To America as one of the top five comedies of
the decade…The film follows the life of
Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy), heir to the royal throne of Zumunda,
who, upon reaching the preordained age of marriage, is introduced to
a woman bred from birth to be his wife. But, much to the chagrin of
his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), Akeem raises an
objection. After discussing the matter, the king agrees to delay the
marriage while Akeem takes a trip abroad to “sow his wild oats”.
Desperate to avoid his arranged marriage and
hoping to marry a woman he loves, Prince Akeem reveals his
intentions to his servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall). Semmi agrees to
travel abroad and assist Akeem in finding a wife who can be
respected for her intelligence as well as her beauty. Spinning a
globe, Akeem’s finger lands on the world’s perfect destination for
finding a queen – Queens, New York.
In Queens, Akeem and Semmi settle into a
rundown ghetto apartment complex and set out to find as many women
as possible. When their search is fruitless, an older man suggests
they go to church and meet some “good girls”. It’s here that Akeem’s
eye falls on Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), daughter of Cleo
McDowell (John Amos), founder of Queens’ most popular fast food
establishment McDowell’s (which bares an uncanny resemblance to
McDonald’s). Unfortunately, Lisa is dating Darryl Jenks, heir to his
father’s hair supply business and the most eligible bachelor in town
according to Cleo and Lisa’s sister Patrice (Allison Dean).
In an effort to get closer to Lisa, Akeem
accepts a job at McDowell’s where fellow employee Maurice (Louie
Anderson) fills him in on the bright future beheld by a McDowell’s
employee. Forcing Semmi to work alongside him, Akeem and Semmi help
foil a gunman (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to hold up the store.
As Lisa and Akeem develop a relationship, her father voices his
disapproval, viewing Akeem as nothing but a poor immigrant with no
future.
When Semmi telegraphs King Joffer for more
money, it prompts the King and his entourage to personally visit New
York City in search of Akeem. Cleo does a complete one-eighty when
he’s informed of Akeem’s identity, but King Joffer is insistent on
his son’s arranged marriage…
An ingenious and utterly entertaining comedy,
Coming To America ranks highly as one of Eddie Murphy’s best films,
if not his best ever. Only Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours come close
to dethroning Prince Akeem and his search for a worthy bride, but
neither is quite on the same level with this film and its
never-ending parade of hilarity. If you love to laugh, you can’t go
wrong with Coming To America, one of the best comedies of the 1980s
decade…
