Comedy is a delicate artform that is arguably more susceptible to eroding over time than just any other genre of film or television. A little over 32 years after the original was released, Coming 2 America serves as a perfect case study for how and why things that were very funny, if not flat-out hilarious at the time just don't hit the same decades later.
Now, this whole concept of how well jokes hold up over time wouldn't be a subject of heightened importance if Coming 2 America wasn't effectively the same movie as its 1988 predecessor except with Zamunda serving as the location of the fish out of water tale instead of New York (the plot involves Eddie Murphy's Prince Akeem bringing his bastard son-played by Jermaine Fowler-he fathered in New York prior to meeting/falling in love with Shari Headley's Lisa McDowell that he wasn't previously aware of to Zamunda to groom him as his heir to the throne) and an unsurprising albeit necessary subplot about the kingdom of Zamunda beginning to move away from its archaic traditions and philosophies. The good bulk of the jokes have the exact same setup and punchlines as the original-giving it a dated, lazy feel that is further elevated by how indifferent the original cast members (Murphy, Headley, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones) with the notable exception of the great John Amos as Akeem's copyright infringing-fast food magnate father in law are in delivering them.
Almost all of the gently amusing moments that save the film from the realm of lifeless mediocrity comes from the new additions headlined by Fowler, KiKi Layne, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes and Tracy Morgan. The visible exuberance and energy they bring to their characters adds somewhat of a spark to a film that has next to none when they're not on screen. They're the ones look like the proud veterans that are excited to add to the legacy of a classic film while the returning cast that actually built it act like clock punchers who are more excited by the prospect of returning to their trailers for an afternoon nap than actively trying to sell jokes or the occasional potential heartfelt moment. If Murphy ever decides to revive another one of his iconic films from the early portion of his career (there's a belief that the long-rumored fourth Beverly Hills Cop will start production in the near future), hopefully he'll actually put some real effort into his performance and/or get the writers to come up with at least somewhat of a different plot because this half-assed, slightly above average retread shit just isn't going to cut it for a performer who is capable of bringing down the house when he's on his game and has good material to work with.
Grade: C+
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