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Movies / On DVD / Coming to America
Coming to America

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Coming to America (1988)

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63 %
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Reviews Counted:35

Fresh:22

Rotten:13

Average Rating:5.6/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 40 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: This fantastical fairy tale stars Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem, a pampered African prince who is yearning to be self-sufficient in his extremely opulent society, where his every whim is catered to.... This fantastical fairy tale stars Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem, a pampered African prince who is yearning to be self-sufficient in his extremely opulent society, where his every whim is catered to. When Akeem turns 21 he defies the wishes of his kingdom and refuses to marry the beautiful bride who has been chosen for him. Instead, he sets out for America to find true love with his trusty sidekick, Semmi (Arsenio Hall). Determined to appear common, the pair arrive in Queens, New York, and quickly have to adapt to a world where they are no longer royalty and can't seem to find a modern woman who suits the prince's tastes--until he meets Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), the lovely daughter of Cleo McDowell (John Amos), who owns McDowell's restaurant, a fast-food restaurant suspiciously like McDonald's. Akeem and Semmi get jobs at McDowell's and set about charming the unsuspecting Lisa. As the romance blossoms, Akeem has an increasingly difficult time hiding his true identity, especially when his royal parents (James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair) and their entourage arrive in New York, eager to return their only heir to Africa. John Landis's comedy is an intelligent, funny movie that shows off the myriad talent of Murphy and Hall. [More]

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, Cuba Gooding

Director: John Landis

Director: John Landis

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Coming to America

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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The winning combination of Landis and Murphy redeems the very predictable storyline, which is chock-full of snappy one-liners and impressive caricatures by Murphy and Hall.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/06/09
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Superb comic timing, a satirical edge, and Murphy's extraordinary gift for mimicry lift it right out of the trough of mediocrity to which it is all but consigned by its utterly predictable storyline.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The director is ... rather distracted; John Landis seems to be browsing through the scenes rather than gobbling them down.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
06/06/09
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Murphy gives his sweetest, most touching, and most genuinely likable performance to date, playing a character who embraces society instead of holding it in contempt.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/06/09
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

very funny and shows Eddie Murphy in his prime

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
03/05/09
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Not only a great comedic effort but Eddie Murphy's best romantic film as well.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/21/09
Jamie Gillies
Jamie Gillies
Apollo Guide

[Landis] takes a very specific joy in the act of moviemaking and calls attention to it, placing it at a level above the romantic story.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
01/29/09
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Starts on a bathroom joke, quickly followed by a gag about private parts, then wanders in search of something equally original for Eddie Murphy to do for another couple of hours.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/18/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

so brilliant, it almost makes up for The Golden Child.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
06/28/07
Eric Meyerson
Eric Meyerson
Filmcritic.com

Eddie Murphy does everything in this movie successfully, which was probably a bad idea because it made him think that he could write and direct Harlem Nights...

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Brad Laidman
Brad Laidman
Film Threat

No review available.

comment Comment
07/22/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
07/14/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
05/06/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Film Threat

Murphy's last enjoyable film before a long slump

comment Comment
10/07/04
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
08/08/04
Eric Melin
Eric Melin
Lawrence.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/04/04
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/04/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/04
Randy Shulman
Randy Shulman
Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

No review available.

comment Comment
01/02/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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