With King Joffer (James Earl Jones) on his deathbed, Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is set to become King of Zamunda. However, given the country’s tradition of male heirs taking the throne, a neighboring country is planning a war to seize power, as Prince Akeem has three daughters and no sons.

Akeem resists the proposition of marrying his eldest daughter to the son of General Izzi (Wesley Snipes), the brother of Akeem’s once-intended bride. Just before his death, King Joffer and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) reveal to Akeem that he has an illegitimate son in Queens, thanks to a one-night stand Akeem can’t remember. And so, to protect Zamunda’s future, Akeem and Semmi travel back to New York to find Akeem’s son, Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler).

I enjoyed Coming to America, and of course, I was excited to see what Eddie Murphy would do with the sequel. While I didn’t love it, it wasn’t a massive disappointment either. It was enjoyable to see familiar characters again, and I quite liked the introduction of several new characters, including Jermaine Fowler as Akeem’s son and Leslie Jones as his mother.

The majority of the film takes place in Zamunda, this time with Queens being but a blip on the movie’s radar – Akeem and Semmi are there just long enough to fit in a few gags with the barbers and Reverend Brown – and the story centers on Lavelle and his journey to becoming worthy of being King. Of course, Akeem’s daughter, Meeka (Kiki Layne), is not welcoming to Lavelle. You can’t blame her, considering she has devoted her life to Zamunda and should be in line for the throne if not for Zamunda’s outdated traditions and customs.

The story itself isn’t terrible, since it explores many progressive themes. Still, part of what made Coming to America so great was the interactions and friendship between Akeem and Semmi as they tried to adapt to America. Coming 2 America definitely lacks that charm, although Murphy and Hall still have great chemistry.

Akeem is much older now, so it makes sense that he’s also wiser, but his gentle naivete made him likable and funny. There is also a distinct lack of Semmi, I am sad to say. One could even say a sequel shouldn’t simply rehash the first film, but Coming 2 America still attempts to do so anyway, with old gags and characters showing up without any reasonable explanation beyond fan service, like the appearance of Sexual Chocolate and singer Randy Watson.

Coming 2 America might have succeeded more if it hadn’t relied so much on the past. A little bit of nostalgia is fine, even welcome, but I think in this instance it held the movie back. You’re either focused on telling a new story, or you’re not, and I couldn’t really figure out what Coming 2 America wanted to be. I know it’s a comedy, so there’s no real sense in digging too deeply into it, but I think it had a lot of potential to be just as good as Coming to America. Unfortunately, it felt like a pale remake lacking its predecessor’s charm and wit.

Watched: 03/06/2021
Notable Song: We Are Family by Eddie Murphy (as Randy Watson)