Honestly, nobody expected Akeem to come back after thirty-three years. It felt like one of those projects stuck in development hell forever, right alongside Beverly Hills Cop 4. But in 2021, Coming 2 America finally dropped on Amazon Prime Video, and it sparked a massive debate about whether we really need sequels to lightning-in-a-bottle classics. You’ve probably seen the mixed reviews. Some people loved the nostalgia trip, while others felt it leaned way too hard on the original’s jokes.
The reality is that Coming 2 America wasn't just a random cash grab. Eddie Murphy had been kicking around ideas for a return to Zamunda for years, but the timing never felt right until he started working with director Craig Brewer on Dolemite Is My Name. That movie reminded everyone that Murphy is a powerhouse when he’s actually engaged. Once that momentum shifted, the wheels started turning for Zamunda’s royal family to return to Queens.
The Royal Transition and the Plot Everyone Guessed
The story picks up with Prince Akeem Joffer about to become King. King Jaffe Joffer (played by the legendary James Earl Jones in one of his final roles) is on his deathbed, and there’s a massive problem: Akeem has no male heir. Under Zamundan law, his eldest daughter, Meeka, can't inherit the throne. This is where the plot of Coming 2 America takes a weird, retconned turn. It turns out Akeem accidentally fathered a son, Lavelle Junson (Jermaine Fowler), during a drug-fueled one-night stand in Queens back in 1988.
It's a bit of a stretch.
Wait, it's a huge stretch.
The movie spends a lot of time trying to justify this plot point through flashbacks with a de-aged Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. It’s cool technology, but it basically rewrites Akeem’s character from the first film, where he was a total gentleman. Suddenly, he's a guy who got high and forgot he had a kid? It’s a bit messy. But the movie needs a reason for the fish-out-of-water dynamic to flip. This time, instead of an African prince coming to America, we get a kid from Queens trying to navigate the rigid, gold-plated life of a Zamundan prince.
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Why Nostalgia is a Double-Edged Sword
If you’re watching Coming 2 America, you’re probably there for the cameos. And man, does this movie deliver on the cameos.
- The barbershop crew (Clarence, Saul, and Morris) are back, despite the actors being in their 60s and 70s.
- Reverend Brown still has that high-pitched scream.
- Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate return for a performance that is exactly as cringeworthy as you remember.
- Even John Amos shows up as Cleo McDowell, still running his "not McDonald's" restaurant in Africa.
But here is the thing: nostalgia can be lazy. A lot of the humor in the sequel relies on you remembering the joke from 1988. When the barbershop guys argue about LeBron James versus Michael Jordan, it’s funny because it mirrors the original argument about Joe Louis. It’s a callback. But is it a new joke? Not really. It’s comfortable. It’s like wearing an old pair of sneakers that are falling apart but you can’t bring yourself to throw them away.
The New Cast vs. The Old Guard
Wesley Snipes is the absolute MVP of Coming 2 America. He plays General Izzi, the brother of Imani Izzi (the girl who hopped like a dog in the first movie). Snipes is chewing the scenery in every single frame. He dances into rooms. He wears ridiculous military regalia. He’s clearly having the time of his life, and his energy carries the movie through its slower middle act.
On the other hand, the younger cast has a harder job. Jermaine Fowler is a talented comedian, but his character, Lavelle, feels a bit generic compared to the vibrant world around him. The tension between him and Meeka (KiKi Layne) is where the real heart of the movie should have been. Meeka has trained her whole life to be a ruler, only to be shoved aside for a brother she never knew. The movie touches on this, but it often pivots back to "look, it's the guy from the first movie!"
Production and Design Excellence
We have to talk about Ruth E. Carter. She’s the costume designer who won an Oscar for Black Panther, and she brought that same level of detail to Zamunda. The clothes in this movie are stunning. The colors are vibrant, the textures are rich, and the fusion of traditional African patterns with modern high fashion is incredible. If you watch the movie for nothing else, watch it for the visuals. It makes the world feel lived-in and real, even when the plot feels a bit thin.
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The makeup is also top-tier. Mike Marino had the impossible task of stepping into Rick Baker’s shoes. Baker is the guy who did the original makeup that made Eddie Murphy look like a Jewish man in the barbershop. Marino nailed it. You genuinely forget you’re looking at the same two actors playing eight different people.
The Search Intent: Is it Streaming or in Theaters?
A lot of people are still confused about where to find Coming 2 America. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paramount Pictures sold the distribution rights to Amazon Studios for a reported $125 million. This was a massive deal at the time. It meant that instead of a traditional theatrical release, it went straight to streaming.
If you want to watch it today, you need an Amazon Prime Video subscription. It isn't on Netflix. It isn't on Hulu. It’s an Amazon Original now. This shift changed how the movie was perceived. On a big screen, the flaws in the CGI or the pacing might have been more obvious. On a couch at home, it feels like a warm, familiar hug.
The Critical Reception: Why the Split?
Rotten Tomatoes has the movie sitting at around 49% from critics, but the audience score is often a bit higher depending on when you check. Why the gap?
Critics generally felt the movie was "safe." It didn't take risks. The original Coming to America was rated R. It had grit. It had a bit of an edge. The sequel is PG-13. It’s scrubbed clean for a broader family audience. You lose some of that Queens "soul" when everything is polished to a high-definition shine.
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However, for many Black families, the movie was an event. It was a celebration of Black excellence and legacy. Seeing all those legendary actors—John Amos, James Earl Jones, Garcelle Beauvais—together again was powerful. It didn't matter if the jokes were recycled; the representation mattered more.
Lessons from the Sequel
What can we actually learn from the release of Coming 2 America?
First, legacy sequels are incredibly hard to pull off. You have to balance the "new" with the "old" without making the "old" feel like a museum exhibit. Top Gun: Maverick eventually showed how to do this perfectly, but Coming 2 America struggled because it was so tied to the specific comedic timing of the late 80s.
Second, the "Fish out of Water" trope only works if the water is actually scary. In the first movie, Akeem was in a dangerous, dirty, 1980s New York. In the sequel, Lavelle is in a palace. The stakes just don't feel as high. If you're a writer or a creator, remember that conflict drives interest. If the protagonist is too comfortable, the audience gets bored.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Creators
If you’re a fan of the franchise or a film buff looking to dive deeper into why this movie exists, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the "Making Of" Specials: Amazon released some great behind-the-scenes content showing how Ruth E. Carter designed the costumes. It’s a masterclass in visual storytelling.
- Compare the Barbershop Scenes: Watch the 1988 scene and the 2021 scene back-to-back. Notice the change in rhythm. The original has much more room for improvisation, while the new one feels heavily scripted to hit specific "Easter egg" beats.
- Check out 'Dolemite Is My Name': If you want to see the creative energy that led to the sequel, watch this Netflix film first. It explains why Eddie Murphy felt ready to return to big-budget comedy.
- Research the Retcon: Look up the original script ideas for Coming to America. Interestingly, there was always talk of a sequel, but Murphy resisted for decades because he didn't want to tarnish the original's legacy. Understanding that hesitation makes the final product more interesting.
Coming 2 America serves as a fascinating case study in modern Hollywood. It’s a movie that exists because of streaming data and nostalgia, yet it strives to be a heartfelt story about fatherhood and breaking tradition. It might not be the masterpiece the first one was, but it’s a colorful, loud, and often joyful return to a world we thought we’d never see again.