REVIEW: ‘Coming 2 America’ Is ‘Doing It for the Culture’ Bringing Much Needed Laughs With an All-Star Old Skool Cast, Comedic Legends, and More, on a Journey From Zamunda to Queens

Coming 2 America is back after 30 years since its prequel, Coming to America, and it’s something old and something new with comedic legends, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, bringing back their fan-favorite characters mixed with even more all-stars, including but not limited to, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and Wesley Snipes.

The Zamunda Royals have arrived when we all need a genuine ‘laugh out loud’ film. Eddie Murphy (King Akeem) and Arsenio Hall (Semmi) still have what it takes in pure gritty old skool talent as they take you on another side-splitting journey, bringing Queens to the land of Zamunda.

There’s something for everyone in this film, including the iconic characters that made the prequel such a hit, like Clarence, Saul, Randy Watson, Morris, and Reverend Brown. It’s like one big family reunion that you never want to end.

With a powerful female cast including, Shari Headley (Lisa McDowell), Kiki Layne (Meeka), Teyana Taylor (Bopoto), and more, Black girl magic is definitely represented and ensuring that it’s a must-see feel-good film for everyone.

The film opens in Zamunda, where we see Akeem and his wife Lisa settled down into their royal blissful lives with their three girls. Kiki Layne plays the role of Meeka, the eldest daughter, Eddie Murphy’s daughter Bella Murphy as their middle child Omma, along with Akiley Love as Princess Tinashe Joffer, their youngest and third daughter. We find out that Akeem never was able to have a male heir to the throne and his father, played by returning legend James Earl Jones, King Jaffe Joffer, is on his case about not having someone to carry on his name and legacy. His father is preparing to pass on in his old age and giving Akeem more of his old-fashioned advice and guidance mixed with hilarious jabs at his manhood at not having a son.

Enter the scene-stealer, General Izzi, played by Wesley Snipes, Imani’s older brother and leader of Nextdoria. Wesley brings the jokes and swagger from his very first elaborate entrance as he dances into Zumunda with his smooth moves, “bounce step,” and quick mouth, dragging Akeem for being “less than a man,” while offering up an introduction to his son Idi Izzi, the Prince of Nextdoria, played by Rotimi. Rotimi is offered up as a suitor for Akeem’s daughter to build an alliance and bring peace between the two kingdoms.

General Izzi is quick to remind Akeem of how he left his sister at the altar and she is forever in a trance, jumping on one foot and barking like a dog. Cue Vanessa Bell Calloway, back after 30 years as Princess Imani Izzi literally jumping into the scene.

After the event, Akeem is finally told that he indeed has a lost seed in Queens, where we see him ready to “throw hands” at Akeem for his sheer stupidity in leading him down a path of debauchery when they were last in New York. Jermaine Fowler plays Lavelle Junson, Akeem’s long-lost son that he allegedly had over 30 years ago during the prequel when Semmi encouraged Akeem to sow his royal oats. “One night after the club later’ turned into a potential male heir to Akeem’s kingdom.

Akeem and his daughter Meeka want none of what Rotimi or Izzi have to give, as General Izzi jokes that he sends his condolences to Akeem’s father, who is still very much alive. Fast forward to King Jaffe Joffer insisting on a celebration aka funeral, while he is still alive and we see one of the most elaborate displays of a “celebration of life” from En Vogue to Salt-N-Pepa, as “Mrs. Gladys Maria Knight,” yes I am addressing her properly, takes us all to the promised land with a slow jam as King Jaffe Joffer takes his last breath right there at his “going home celebration.”

Akeem and Semmi set out to find Lavelle, and they are introduced right back to where it all started. Prepare for the time capsule flashback as they land in Queens on the hunt for Akeem’s baby momma, Mary Junson, played by the absolutely hilarious Leslie Jones. You just can’t look away. After finding Lavelle scalping tickets in front of Madison Square Garden, Lavelle leads Akeem and Semmi back home to reunite with Mary in all the sordid details of the intimate hookup Akeem would definitely like to forget, and Lavelle wants zero details on. We are introduced to Lavelle’s Uncle Reem, played by Tracy Morgan, who is in shock taking it all in.

After a quick realization that Akeem is indeed a king, he sets out with his mom Mary to join Akeem and Seemi on the flight to Zumunda. In a kind of Trading Places sort of way, we see Lavelle and Mary “…Move it on up to the East Side,” as they are flabbergasted at the absolute wealth and the sprawling grounds of the palace. They jump right into royalty with their own rose bearers and bathers, as well as an introduction to the finer things in life as Lavelle is trained to be a king. Mary and Lavelle also get their hair done by the royal groomers, and Lavelle is introduced to Mirembe, played by Nomzamo Mbatha.

We see Lavelle not understanding why he has to fight lions and learn the ways of Zamunda when he was perfectly fine being raised in Queens by his Uncle Reem. Uncle Reem is flown in and he and Lavelle not only show everyone how to slay lions with cans of cat food, but they bring all of the nuances of Black American swag to the Zamunda Royals.

General Izzi gets back into the scene after learning of Akeem’s long-lost son. After a quick display of his terrorist training activities in Nextdoria, training kids in the art of war, we see him enter Zamunda to offer up his daughter Bopoto, played by Teyana Taylor, as Lavelle’s bride to be. Bopoto definitely reminds us of Vanessa Bell Calloway’s character, Princess Imani Izzi, in Coming to America with her “whatever you like” persona.

As the story unfolds, Lavelle makes it clear to everyone that he is not wanting to marry General Izzi’s daughter Bopoto despite him being starstruck at her beauty and mesmerized into a duet with her for Prince’s “Get Off,” which will have everyone dancing with Black girl magic on display, once again, with one of the amazing dance and musical scenes we loved in the prequel. Lavelle instead is falling in love with his royal groomer, Mirembe, who is definitely the mirror image of Akeem’s wife Lisa, who refused to marry “Soul Glo” Darryl Jenks (Eriq La Salle) and instead married Akeem for love and became a real-life princess.

When the oven gets hot, and he truly has had enough of everyone trying to change him to become an heir, he jets off to Queens, taking Mirembe with him to marry for love.

When Akeem rushes off to bring him back he finds and tries to stop him at the altar about to be married by “Mr. Sexual Chocolate” himself, Reverend Brown. After an overdue conversation, Lavelle does get his father’s approval to live his own life and decides with Mirembe to have the wedding the right way and return, but not without bringing the barbershop gang, Reverend Brown and his whole family, bringing a little Queens, New York to Zumunda.

While they were away, General Izzi was “pressed” that Lavelle stood his daughter up at the altar. Akeem’s daughters, who are trained as warriors, fight off a furious General Izzi along with Semmi, keeping the kingdom intact for a nice feminist twist to the film.

After everyone is reunited back in Zamunda, it’s one big block party, and you will just have to watch to see who was invited.

Overall, Coming 2 America lives up to the prequel’s hype and brings the old and the new with great music, stellar acting, and tons of good laughs. Be sure to stream Coming 2 America on March 5 on Amazon Prime Video.