Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating *

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Shari Headley, John Amos, Nomzamo Mbatha, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Clint Smith, KiKi Layne, Wesley Snipes, Teyna Taylor, Bella Murphy, Akiley Love, Paul Bates, Louie Anderson, James Earl Jones, Rotimi, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Colin Jost, Kevin T. DeWitt, Luenell, Rodney Perry, Michael Blackson, Rick Ross, Garcelle Beauvais, Vanessa Colon, Janette Colon, Morgan Freeman, Gladys Knight.

The sequel that was never required, that was never asked for, and which absolutely tarnishes the brilliance of the original; that is the fate of many films in the 21st Century as cinema tries, and for the most part fails, to recapture the love of nostalgia in a time when originality seems to have conceded the fight to the corporate shilling desperate to recoup losses in the wake of pandemics and customer lethargy.

Such an accusation arguably stands at the foot of Coming 2 America. No one surely asked what happed to Prince Akeem and his family, everyone could understand that the magic created in the amusing tale which stood out in Eddie Murphy’s early career as a continuation of success as one of Hollywood’s big hitters for a decade, could not be replicated, and in which could only lead to sorrow for the fan; and yet on celluloid and its digital cousin, it now appears like the ghost of futures to come.

The original 1988 film’s charm which captured the spirit of some of the actors from Afro-American community, and indeed showcased John Amos and the phenomenal James Earl Jones in roles that captured their intensity in a comedic role, and which also played greatly with the immensity of Eddie Murphy’s and Arsenio Hall’s combined screen presence; could not be topped, and Coming 2 America is testament to the crass and underwhelming thinking that cinema’s executives look upon the lover of film and the need to escape from the barrage of ill fortune as nothing more than a cash cow to be exploited mercilessly and without care.

There is little to see as a fitting example the quality of acting ability on screen, the script is tired, unwilling to show sympathy to the viewer, the set up a convenience, and little to argue that it may have any redeeming features, and even in the inclusion in a scene which passes of the old guard and ways of Zamunda to a supposed radical regime, it reeks of limitation and sadly, humiliation.

Coming 2 America is one of the worst examples of the cinematic sequel, it taints the magnificence of Eddie Murphy’s comic timing and belittles the sizeable contribution of those associated with the original. Cinema needs to learn that unless a sequel can find the balance between furthering the story in quick succession, or has something new to say, then perhaps leave the past alone and find a way to highlight new writers and new ideas.

Abject and disappointing, one to completely avoid.

Ian D. Hall