Eddie Murphy plays Akeem (as well as a whole slew of other characters), Prince of Zamunda. On the eve of his marriage to a wife he has never met before, he finally convinces his parents (James Earl Jones and Made Sinclair) to let him go off before the wedding. He convinces King Jaffe Joffer that it is to "sow his royal oats," but in actuality, he hopes to fall in love and find a real bride. And what better place to look than Queens. Of course his servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall, who also plays a slew of other characters), isn't too happy about all this. Unlike Akeem, he is quite pleased by the decadent lifestyle the two live.
Akeem and Semmi head to New York City and it isn't long before the prince finds the girl he is looking for in Lisa (Shari Headley). Not only is she smart and beautiful, but she seems to like him for the person he is (especially since no one knows he is a prince and has a ton of money). The problem is, she's dating Darryl Jenks (Eriq La Salle), a rich man who inherited his fortune based on his father's Jheri Curl product.
There are quite a few jokes throughout this romantic comedy that range from Lisa's father's fast food resturant, McDowell's, to the barbershop, "My-T-Sharp" played by several versions of Hall and Murphy. But one of the great things about this movie is the early appearances of actors like Louie Anderson and Samuel L. Jackson (he's the guy that holds up McDowell's). What I really appreciated is the reference to a previous Eddie Murphy film, Trading Spaces. At one point, Akeem gives a large bundle of money to a pair of homeless men. These men turn out to be the rich brothers who caused all of the trouble in that film.
Coming to America is just a great film about judging books by covers and loving someone for who they really are and not how much money they have. Both Murphy and Hall play their various parts well, and every time James Earl Jones shows up, he steals the scene.
I just wish the I Love the 80's release of Coming to America had a few more special features. The only extras you get with this DVD is the theatrical trailer and the standard collection of 4 80's songs on a CD that come with every other I Love the 80's DVDs. These songs are "Lips Like Sugar" (Echo & the Bunnymen), "Chain of Love" (Erasure), "Need You Tonight" (INXS) and "Take On Me" (a-ha).
Coming to America is just a great classic 80's movie that shows Eddie Murphy at his best. While Coming to America might not be a must have, it should definitely be seen at least once.
