Growing up, you’d either watched Coming to America at least, once, or every kid in school would assume you were living under a rock! Lol. That’s how popular the movie was and safe to say, I watched it multiple times on our DVD player back then till the cassette could no longer play a scene without glitch. And when smart TVs came in, trust that I had to download the movie and watch it over and over again to the point that I can still deliver some of the lines and dialogues offhand, lol.
Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) has it all, you know, the glam and glamor; wealth, servants, a palace big enough for a full day’s tour, and even a bride handpicked for him, what could possibly be better? But here’s the catch: his story is not the typical, “rich kid doesn’t want the wealth or feels burdened by the wealth” storyline, oh no, Prince Akeem basks in the wealth, he has lady-maids bathing him and what not.
His burden however was that he doesn’t want a woman who simply obeys him; he wants a partner, someone who loves him for who he is, not for his status, someone who has a mind of her own. So, in the most dramatic and hilarious way possible, he sets off on a journey with his best friend and loyal servant, Semmi (Arsenio Hall), to find a wife. And where do they go? The one place where anything is possible—Queens, New York. Because, of course, if you're looking for a queen, Queens is the place to go!
What makes Coming to America unique is how it uses NYC as more than just a setting, it becomes part of the story. It perfectly captures the chaos, charm, and unfiltered reality of NYC without trying to paint it as if “NYC is where you need to be to have your dreams come true”, although his dreams did come true in NYC but not without delivering some of the best comedic moments of the '80s, maybe a little embarrassing too.
Akeem goes from having rose petals laid at his feet in Zamunda to wading through the filth and craziness of New York. Is it the wild characters or the chaos of the streets, the movie doesn’t romanticize NYC the way some films do; instead, it highlights the grit, the eccentricity, and the unpredictable nature of the city, even though it gave some pretty comedic culture shock. But somehow, all that contrast makes Akeem’s journey even funnier.
One of the funniest parts is when Akeem and Semmi rent an absolute dump of an apartment in Queens, in the hopes of blending in. The apartment is so bad that Semmi certainly had a hard time adjusting, lol. The hilarious irony of seeing a literal prince accept his present reality in pursuit of what he wants to that of his servant struggling, nagging and trying to make sense of everyday struggles was rather epic! Oh, those nosy barbershop guys, lol. Semmi definitely hated them.
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And that brings me to talking about the characters, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s acting skills is the actual definition of legendary. Not only do they play Akeem and Semmi, but they also transform into multiple side characters, like the barbershop crew and the ridiculous Reverend Brown whose lines still crack me up till today. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear the movie had a cast of 30 people instead of just a handful of actors pulling double (or triple) characters, just absolutely good at what they do. If anything, it makes one appreciate this classic movie even more because, those aren’t things we see in today’s movies anymore.
There’s also Lisa (Shari Headley), the woman who unintentionally steals Akeem’s heart. She’s smart, ambitious, has a beautiful smile and, most importantly, not impressed by wealth, exactly what Akeem was looking for. The romance is progressively sweet, but the look on Lisa’s father’s face when he found out Akeem’s royal status after rejecting him for so long, is even sweeter. What makes it even better is how Akeem goes out of his way to win her love without revealing his royal identity. It’s giving “rizz but make it humble.”
Let’s talk about some of the most unforgettable and truly iconic scenes:
• The “Good Morning, My Neighbors” scene – Akeem wakes up feeling all kinds of happy and yells “Good morning, my neighbors!” only to get cussed out by a random New Yorker. I mean, classic New York City, right? Lol.
• McDowell’s vs. McDonald’s – Lisa’s father owns McDowell’s, a blatant rip-off of McDonald’s, and he spends half the movie convincing everyone they’re not the same and his business is based solely off of his ideas and originality.
• The Barbershop Debates – If you’ve seen this movie, you know that the barbershop scenes are some of the funniest parts. I don’t know if it’s the costumes or the mannerism of the old men or the way they talk, it’s the type of scenes where you can’t exactly place why but you just burst into laughter every time it comes up.
• The Reverend Preaching: The preaching styles of those days? Epic! I low-key want to attend one of the services, lol.
Even decades later, Coming to America remains one of the best NYC-based comedies of all time. It’s a story about love, identity, and stepping outside of your comfort zone. What makes it even more special is how every scene and character’s reactions rolls off stomach-aching laughter from you while they manage to make it look effortless. I wonder how they kept straight faces while shooting this movie. Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are comedic geniuses. When I think NYC based movie, top of the list for me is this classic!
All images are from IMDB
Thank you for reading! :)
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