The 1980's; a time when Eddie Murphy movies were funny and none more so, in my opinion, than Coming to America (1988).
Based on a story by Murphy himself, this classic comedy was directed by John Landis, who had success with Murphy in Trading Places. Whilst that movie concerned Murphy's character going from rags to riches, this movie is almost the opposite.
Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, heir to the throne of Zamunda, in Africa He is pampered 24 hours a day, from a small string section playing music to wake him up, to the three servants who sprinkle rose petals in front of him as he walks. Unlike his father the King, played by the almighty James Earl Jones, Akeem is growing tired of this lifestyle and thinks even less to the prospect of marrying someone he is only going to meet later that day.
Akeem decides to travel to America with his friend and servant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to look for a woman he can fall in love with and marry. They end up in Queens, New York (where better to find a wife for a king?) and Akeem tells Semmi that they are to live as everyone else does, nobody is to know of their wealth; Akeem wants a woman to love him for who he is, not because of his power or money.
Coming to America, however, does not really enter the familiar territory of a 'fish out of water' scenario. Sure, there are situations that Akeem does not understand ('what does dumb fuck mean?') but mostly the pair settle in to the New York way of like, Akeem embracing the challenges and Semmi loathing them.
Blending in with the New Yorkers
Akeem eventually finds a woman named Lisa, whose father owns a fast-food restaurant named McDowell's, and decides that she could be a woman suitable for him. Akeem and Semmi get a job working for Mr McDowell, mopping the floor and taking out the garbage, so that Akeem can get to know Lisa, despite the fact that she is going out with rich boyfriend Darryl (ER's Eriq La Salle).
As the movie progresses Akeem and Lisa get close, especially when she breaks up with Darryl, but Lisa still thinks that he is just a goat herder from Africa. Akeem is trying to find the right occasion to tell her the truth when his parents suddenly arrive and threaten to ruin everything before Akeem can do it his own way.
It's a simple and cute story which is handled more than adequately, however this is a comedy and, as such, relies more on laughs than story. It surely does deliver on that front and it's main triumph are the characters.
Despite being the protagonist in a comedy, Akeem isn't that funny. He is a very warm and likable guy who is sincere in wanting to find true love and cares not about what he has back home. But, he doesn't get much opportunity to make us the audience laugh, save for the occasional struggles with Western culture. For example, to initiate small talk about football he states 'Oh sir, the Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory.'
Other than these small occurrences, we laugh more about his situations rather than what he says or does. Eddie Murphy is not redundant on the comedy side, though, as this is the first time where he plays multiple characters, which has become common these days but never any better than here.
He plays a old barber named Clarence, who enjoys arguing with his old friends about boxing, 'every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ass', and whether or not he met Martin Luther King. He plays Randy Watson, a terrible front man for Sexual Chocolate, who play a hilarious version of 'The Greatest Love of All' at a Black Awareness meeting, and he also plays Saul, an old white Jew were he is barely recognizable. All of these roles allow Murphy to shine with his energetic comedy and pile on the laughs, in stark contrast to Akeem who is almost a straight man.
Oy vey! It's Eddie Murphy
Arsenio Hall steals the show, though. Despite his huge success in 80's America, he is not so well known outside of the states, but here he truely does come into a world of his own. His main character, Semmi, is almost the opposite to Akeem; he is sex mad, hates living in the poor conditions in New York and despises having to work. It is not long before he is flaunting his money and endangers giving up Akeem's secret. He lives for fun and is never afraid to reveal his joker-like smile, and big gums.
Hall also gets to play other characters alongside Murphy's. His first we meet is a one of the old folks in the barbers having the boxing argument, 'his mamma call him Clay, imma call him Clay', his second is Reverend Brown, perhaps the most disturbing minister ever in cinema. He is both disgusting and amusing as he is checking out the beauty pageant contestants and, despite only occuring in two scenes, he is one of the most memorable characters throughout the entire movie.
Most of these characters and the scenes in which they appear add little, if nothing to the movie plot-wise. Despite this, it detracts nothing at all as they are hugely entertaining and funny and acted out excellently by both Murphy and Hall, with some great support by various actors; a special shout out to Clint Smith is needed who is great and stands his own as Sweets in the barber shop.
There are so many wonderful moments in this movie, from the hilarious Soul Glow advert that keeps raising it's head, to the scene were Akeem and Semmi go out to meet women in a club, only to find they are all a bit odd (including one scary woman who is Arsenio in drag). There are also many quoatable lines which is a bonus for any comedy movie, 'Believe me. I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience. '
Eddie Murphy believes the children are our future
The direction by Landis is also good, especially in the scenes with Murphy and Hall's multiple characters. Landis does this seamlessly and, thanks to Rick Baker's fantastic make-up effects, it is easy to forget that you are watching the same people. In fact some viewers fail to notice that some characters are played by Murphy or Hall.
It's hard to think that Coming to America is almost 2 hours in length, it just flies past and feels like any 90 minute comedy. It is a great portrayal of both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall's comedic and character acting ability with fully realised characters, showing that a good comedy doesn't always need a completely ridiculous plot for the laughs to come. Instead it shows that it can be done by using a simple premise and getting the laughs out of the characters themselves.
Best Line:
Now let's see if you can defend yourself, you sweat from a baboon's balls.
Star Turn:
Arsenio Hall, a joy to watch and his other characters are so funny
Best Moment:
Sexual Chocolate
Based on a story by Murphy himself, this classic comedy was directed by John Landis, who had success with Murphy in Trading Places. Whilst that movie concerned Murphy's character going from rags to riches, this movie is almost the opposite.
Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, heir to the throne of Zamunda, in Africa He is pampered 24 hours a day, from a small string section playing music to wake him up, to the three servants who sprinkle rose petals in front of him as he walks. Unlike his father the King, played by the almighty James Earl Jones, Akeem is growing tired of this lifestyle and thinks even less to the prospect of marrying someone he is only going to meet later that day.
Akeem decides to travel to America with his friend and servant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) to look for a woman he can fall in love with and marry. They end up in Queens, New York (where better to find a wife for a king?) and Akeem tells Semmi that they are to live as everyone else does, nobody is to know of their wealth; Akeem wants a woman to love him for who he is, not because of his power or money.
Coming to America, however, does not really enter the familiar territory of a 'fish out of water' scenario. Sure, there are situations that Akeem does not understand ('what does dumb fuck mean?') but mostly the pair settle in to the New York way of like, Akeem embracing the challenges and Semmi loathing them.
Blending in with the New Yorkers
Akeem eventually finds a woman named Lisa, whose father owns a fast-food restaurant named McDowell's, and decides that she could be a woman suitable for him. Akeem and Semmi get a job working for Mr McDowell, mopping the floor and taking out the garbage, so that Akeem can get to know Lisa, despite the fact that she is going out with rich boyfriend Darryl (ER's Eriq La Salle).
As the movie progresses Akeem and Lisa get close, especially when she breaks up with Darryl, but Lisa still thinks that he is just a goat herder from Africa. Akeem is trying to find the right occasion to tell her the truth when his parents suddenly arrive and threaten to ruin everything before Akeem can do it his own way.
It's a simple and cute story which is handled more than adequately, however this is a comedy and, as such, relies more on laughs than story. It surely does deliver on that front and it's main triumph are the characters.
Despite being the protagonist in a comedy, Akeem isn't that funny. He is a very warm and likable guy who is sincere in wanting to find true love and cares not about what he has back home. But, he doesn't get much opportunity to make us the audience laugh, save for the occasional struggles with Western culture. For example, to initiate small talk about football he states 'Oh sir, the Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory.'
Other than these small occurrences, we laugh more about his situations rather than what he says or does. Eddie Murphy is not redundant on the comedy side, though, as this is the first time where he plays multiple characters, which has become common these days but never any better than here.
He plays a old barber named Clarence, who enjoys arguing with his old friends about boxing, 'every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man got to pull Rocky Marciano out their ass', and whether or not he met Martin Luther King. He plays Randy Watson, a terrible front man for Sexual Chocolate, who play a hilarious version of 'The Greatest Love of All' at a Black Awareness meeting, and he also plays Saul, an old white Jew were he is barely recognizable. All of these roles allow Murphy to shine with his energetic comedy and pile on the laughs, in stark contrast to Akeem who is almost a straight man.
Oy vey! It's Eddie Murphy
Arsenio Hall steals the show, though. Despite his huge success in 80's America, he is not so well known outside of the states, but here he truely does come into a world of his own. His main character, Semmi, is almost the opposite to Akeem; he is sex mad, hates living in the poor conditions in New York and despises having to work. It is not long before he is flaunting his money and endangers giving up Akeem's secret. He lives for fun and is never afraid to reveal his joker-like smile, and big gums.
Hall also gets to play other characters alongside Murphy's. His first we meet is a one of the old folks in the barbers having the boxing argument, 'his mamma call him Clay, imma call him Clay', his second is Reverend Brown, perhaps the most disturbing minister ever in cinema. He is both disgusting and amusing as he is checking out the beauty pageant contestants and, despite only occuring in two scenes, he is one of the most memorable characters throughout the entire movie.
Most of these characters and the scenes in which they appear add little, if nothing to the movie plot-wise. Despite this, it detracts nothing at all as they are hugely entertaining and funny and acted out excellently by both Murphy and Hall, with some great support by various actors; a special shout out to Clint Smith is needed who is great and stands his own as Sweets in the barber shop.
There are so many wonderful moments in this movie, from the hilarious Soul Glow advert that keeps raising it's head, to the scene were Akeem and Semmi go out to meet women in a club, only to find they are all a bit odd (including one scary woman who is Arsenio in drag). There are also many quoatable lines which is a bonus for any comedy movie, 'Believe me. I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience. '
Eddie Murphy believes the children are our future
The direction by Landis is also good, especially in the scenes with Murphy and Hall's multiple characters. Landis does this seamlessly and, thanks to Rick Baker's fantastic make-up effects, it is easy to forget that you are watching the same people. In fact some viewers fail to notice that some characters are played by Murphy or Hall.
It's hard to think that Coming to America is almost 2 hours in length, it just flies past and feels like any 90 minute comedy. It is a great portrayal of both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall's comedic and character acting ability with fully realised characters, showing that a good comedy doesn't always need a completely ridiculous plot for the laughs to come. Instead it shows that it can be done by using a simple premise and getting the laughs out of the characters themselves.
Best Line:
Now let's see if you can defend yourself, you sweat from a baboon's balls.
Star Turn:
Arsenio Hall, a joy to watch and his other characters are so funny
Best Moment:
Sexual Chocolate
One of my all time favorite Murphy Movies, only topped by Trading Places, which this film refrences, a true classic from when Murphy was comedy genius.
ReplyDeleteAnybody reading this should so see the film.
Spot-on review. I doubt there's ever been a few months period goes by in any year since this has come out that someone I know doesn't quote from this movie. OK, usually it's me, but still...
ReplyDelete"That boy good."
"Good and terrible."