Login to write a review.

A review by Gimly

50%
Written by Gimly on April 12, 2019

Hasn't aged flawlessly, made some stylistic decisions that probably would have come across as weird even at the time, and not the sort of thing (American comedy) that typically appeals to me. But I can still absolutely see why Coming to America is remembered as fondly as it is. I liked it by and large more than the most similar offerings of today.

Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal.

A review by r96sk

70%
Written by r96sk on March 5, 2021

I didn't enjoy it as much as expected, but 'Coming to America' is nevertheless still good.

Eddie Murphy is unsurprisingly the star of the film. Any notable scenes include him, which isn't a shock given the obvious and the fact he plays a number of characters; on that note, only Akeem amused me - the barber shop guys... not so much, to be honest.

James Earl Jones (Jaffe), John Amos (Cleo) and Frankie Faison (landlord) are the most noteworthy in terms of those away from the lead, while there is even an appearance from someone named Samuel L. Jackson - what ever happened to that guy... read the rest.

A review by Wuchak

100%
Written by Wuchak on March 7, 2021

My all-time favorite comedy

In "Coming to America" (1988) Eddie Murphy plays the likable prince of a rich African kingdom, Akeem. He comes to Queens to find his future queen accompanied by his best friend & servant, Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. He understandably wants a wife who will love him for who he is and not for his great riches. So they get hired at McDowell's, a McDonald's knock-off, where he meets the shining daughter of the owner (Shari Headley). Is she the one? Will she find a fast-food mop boy appealing enough to marry?

As noted in my title blurb, "Coming to America"... read the rest.

A review by Kamurai

70%
Written by Kamurai on March 10, 2021

Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend.

A very good approach to a "Pauper and Prince" trope mix with a culture shock trope. The excellent cast involved really takes it a long way with good writing to help it along.

It's admittedly not a very original story structure, so while it is not all that refreshingly unpredictable, but it's good to see a foreign royalty in an American setting, and an African one at that.

I do think this is consistently funny and has maintained over 30 years, so definitely check this out if you haven't.

A review by tmdb55527033

Written by tmdb55527033 on November 5, 2023

Coming to America is a classic 80's comedy with excellent performances by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The film's humor holds up well over time, and the duo's ability to portray a variety of different characters is impressive. While some aspects of the film may be dated, it remains a hilarious and heartwarming story about love and acceptance. Overall, Coming to America is a timeless classic and one of the greatest comedies of the 80’s. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh.

You need to be logged in to continue. Click here to login or here to sign up.

Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.

Global

s focus the search bar
p open profile menu
esc close an open window
? open keyboard shortcut window

On media pages

b go back (or to parent when applicable)
e go to edit page

On TV season pages

(right arrow) go to next season
(left arrow) go to previous season

On TV episode pages

(right arrow) go to next episode
(left arrow) go to previous episode

On all image pages

a open add image window

On all edit pages

t open translation selector
ctrl+ s submit form

On discussion pages

n create new discussion
w toggle watching status
p toggle public/private
c toggle close/open
a open activity
r reply to discussion
l go to last reply
ctrl+ enter submit your message
(right arrow) next page
(left arrow) previous page

Settings

Want to rate or add this item to a list?

Login