| COMING TO AMERICA (1988) |   |
| CAST |
Eddie Murphy Arsenio Hall Shari Headley John Amos James Earl Jones Madge Sinclair Allison Dean Eriq La Salle Louie Anderson Vondie Curtis Hall Samuel L. Jackson |
| DIRECTED BY |
John Landis |
| PURCHASE |
| "So you see, my son, there is a very fine line between love and nausea." |
| Time: 104 mins. Rating: R Genre: Comedy/Romance Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup. |
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SYNOPSIS: A pampered African prince journeys incognito to Queens, New York, to find a bride who will love him just for himself.
BOTTOM LINE: An enjoyable, though somewhat dated, prince out of water tale that shows Murphy doesn't have to be foul-mouthed to be funny. The precursor to his multi-character turns in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, Murphy shows his softer side as the heir to an African throne looking for his true love in Queens, New York. Rather than settle on the perfect bride picked by his parents, Prince Hakeem wants a woman who will love him for who he is not for his future kingdom and bank account. With his trusted sidekick Semmi (Hall) in tow, they head to the Big Apple incognito to try to find the love of Hakeem's life. Hakeem immediately falls in love with Lisa McDowell (Headley), the daughter of a hamburger franchise magnet. She's pretty, intelligent and one of the only people nice to him, a lowly immigrant dishwasher in her father's restaurant. He does everything he can to woo her away from her current boyfriend, much to Semmi's dismay. Things get out of hand, bringing his parents to America and his identity out into the open. This being a comic fairy tale, all ends happily and wackily ever after. Though not a new idea, the plot ticks amusingly along thanks to the talented cast. Hakeem gives Murphy a chance to show his sweeter side and he's utterly charming, despite the limitations of his character. He's what makes this trifle worthwhile. |