Coming to America (Special Collector's Edition)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Arsenio Hall, Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge SinclairBrand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-05
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of Coming to America (Special Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: When Eddie was royalty
Summary: 5 Stars
- Prince Akeem (to his Chamberlain): "Oha, It is my twenty-first birthday. You think perhaps just once I might use the bathroom by myself?"
- Oha: "Most amusing, sir. Wipers!!"
With this one, Eddie Murphy wanted to try something different, to veer away from his patented wisecracking role for a bit. COMING TO AMERICA is more of a romantic comedy and a fable, about a prince who comes to a strange land to find a bride. And, thanks to a hilarious script and to the cast's terrific performances, we end up with a fish-out-of-water movie which stands the test of time.
Prince Akeem (Murphy), heir to the throne of Zamunda, has had it with his cushy life. Dude strolls on carpets of rose petals flung by beautiful servant women (who also clean his ding dong). He's serenaded awake by a live orchestra. He has minions brushing his teeth for him. And he's tired of all this.
It is Prince Akeem's 21st birthday, and the king had already arranged his marriage. Akeem at last rebels and, to pacify him, the king grants him forty days to go sow his wild oats. And then the marriage will go on.
But Akeem has other ideas. He intends to go looking for his own bride. But where can one find a woman of wit, grace, and culture, someone fit to be a queen? Where else but in Queens, New York?
The movie really takes off once Akeem and his friend Semmi (Hall) land in the seamy side of Queens, as they confront a shockingly different culture. Because Akeem longs to learn what real life is like, he and Semmi pass themselves off as lowly foreign students, rent the rattiest room in the 'hood, and gain bottom-barrelled employment at McDowell's, a fast food franchise eerily resembling another, more famous franchise. And, there, Akeem meets Lisa.
COMING TO AMERICA takes the Cinderella story and tweaks it juuuust a tad. Basically, it's told from the prince's point of view, focusing on his search for his princess. It was a change of pace for Eddie, but he holds up very well, taking on this very different character, who is noble but grounded, open minded and kind yet decisive. As directed by John Landis, this movie turns out pretty foul-mouthed but very, very funny. Much of the humor, of course, derives from the royal prince being exposed to the mean streets of New York. Eddie's so engaging as the royal prince that I couldn't help but cheer as he overcame each hurdle. The romantic elements are very much alive and well. Eddie comes off quite convincing in his gentle wooing of his All-American, modern thinking girl from Queens. And, for once, most of the cusswords aren't coming out of his mouth. Sort of. Eddie does take on an extra, throwaway role which liberally drops the eff bombs.
There's one absolutely Can't Miss moment which happens during Akeem and Lisa's date, and this is a very satisfying callback to Trading Places (Special Collector's Edition). I also enjoyed all the scenes in the barbershop (and, for my money, Sugar Ray Robinson is the all-time pound for pound best boxer).
The cast is rather awesome. Other than Eddie himself, I think that Shari Headley has the most crucial part. John Landis refers to her as the anchor of the picture, and, really, the whole structure would've crumbled if the audience didn't buy into the girl being that beautiful and that charming and intelligent. Shari had a glow about her, and I'll say I crushed on her but big. Arsenio Hall's chemistry with Eddie lends to some good laughs, his creature comfort craving character so much an antithesis of Eddie's. And can you spot the other characters they play? John Amos ("Hello, king!") plays Shari Headley's gruff, mercenary dad and is unexpectedly farcical as he tries to trade on McDonald's name as much as he could without getting sued. Also, keep an eye out for ER's Eriq Lasalle, who proudly rocks his gerry curl (Soul Glo, baby!), and Samuel Jackson, who pops in real quick as an armed robber.
I don't think I have to go into how perfect and regal James Earl Jones is as the King of Zamunda.
Since this is the Special Collector's Edition DVD, there are some okay extras thrown in: Prince-ipal Photography: The Coming Together of America (24 minutes long, and worth watching); Fit for Akeem: The Costumes; Character Building: The Many Faces of Rick Baker (make-up artist); Composing America: The Musical Talents of Nile Rodgers; excerpts of interviews with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, promoting the film in 1989, in which we learn of Eddie's original title for the movie (I guess it's no surprise that Arsenio, having been a talk show host, hogs the conversation); the theatrical trailer; and the photo gallery.
Eddie Murphy was once a comedy god. Starting with 48 HRS. in 1982 and all the way up to, let's say, The Distinguished Gentleman in '92, I'd call that window of time Eddie Murphy's brightest years, when his popularity just friggin' soared (I think the only skunker within that span was BEST DEFENSE). COMING TO AMERICA, released in 1988, was only one more link in his chain of successes when, back then, we thought this guy could do no wrong. Until, that is, he started putting out stuff like HOLY MAN and THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH. Of course, Eddie Murphy has had a kind of resurgence, what with his segue into kid films and taking on an Oscar-nominated supporting role in Dreamgirls (Two-Disc Showstopper Edition). So things were looking up again.
But then he had to go and make NORBIT. Dammit, Eddie!
Every time I watch COMING TO AMERICA, it always startles me how profane it actually is. The lasting impression for me has always been (and, I guess, always will be) of Eddie Murphy at his most graceful and most romantic and of Shari Headley as this beautiful American princess. But NORBIT is pretty awful.
Summary of Coming to America (Special Collector's Edition)
Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 days to roam the U.S., sending the prince's faithful retainer Semmi (Arsenio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a "Joe job" at a fast-food restaurant. Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and there are innumerable celebrity cameos peppered throughout the proceedings ? including the Duke Brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) from Trading Places. Coming to America made further headlines when humorist Art Buchwald sued the film's producers for plagiarizing one of his works. Buchwald carried the case to trial, where he won a sizeable judgement against the film's producers.Half of the characters in this 1988 John Landis potboiler seem to be played either by Eddie Murphy or costar Arsenio Hall, swaddled in elaborate Rick Baker makeup appliances that render them unrecognizable but also weirdly immobile. As a pampered African prince who journeys incognito to Queens, New York, to find a bride who will love him just for himself, Murphy manages to look smug and naive at the same time. There are enjoyable sequences of Murphy's Prince Akeem applying his lordly manner to his new job in a fast-food emporium, and falling for the boss's spirited daughter (Shari Headley), who teaches him how to party down, American style. But the fish-out-water premise is never fully exploited. Star spotters will have a field day locating Cuba Gooding Jr., Donna Summer, Louie Anderson, Vondie Curtis Hall, E.R.'s Eriq La Salle, and Samuel L. Jackson in their minuscule supporting roles. --David Chute
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