#LIFE EDDIE MURPHY REVIEW PLUS#

The gold- and diamond-rich Zamunda is still an extravagant land of happily strolling elephants, rose petal bearers, and other princely comforts. Coming 2 America: Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy. Blaustein and David Sheffield, and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris.

#LIFE EDDIE MURPHY REVIEW PLUS#

So, director Craig Brewer ( Dolemite Is My Name) and Murphy are wise to have brought back nearly every memorable character, cast member, and gag, along with welcome new additions, plus a sweetly woke script, credited to original screenwriters Barry W. That Murphy’s relatively strait-laced performance was surrounded by so many hilarious elements was the icing on the cake for the first film. An African prince so rich and famous and romantic that he’d travel all the way to Queens, New York, in order to find a partner who’s his peer or better in every way but financially, Akeem was and is a role Eddie Murphy embodies effortlessly. While the precise origins of Akeem’s story were a matter of legal dispute, with late Washington Post writer Art Buchwald winning his case against Paramount for cribbing from his screen treatment, there’s no disputing that the role perfectly merged Murphy’s celebrity life and screen persona into one charming hero. The John Landis-directed original - available for streaming on Amazon Prime, along with the sequel - has itself aged well, better than some of Eddie’s early standup, thanks in large part to Murphy’s likable turn as Prince Akeem, heir to the throne of the fictional African nation of Zamunda. Given all that could have gone awry with a 30-years-later follow-up to the beloved 1988 comedy Coming to America, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, and company emerge not only unscathed, but looking fresh as daisies in the buoyant sequel Coming 2 America (★★★☆☆). Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America - Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios

Life eddie murphy review