Not even bad in a good way

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Perhaps the worst thing that works against Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" is that many of the jokes fall flat. Who knows, maybe this was funny back in 1988. But remember, that year also gave us Beetlejuice, Die Hard, and Big, all of which hold up a LOT better than Coming to America.Many of this film's jokes are rooted in stereotypes. There are scenes where a black barber excitably argues with his patients. This is a very long sequence. I thought to myself, "Is this supposed to be funny? Why? Because he's black and he's got a funny voice?" The fictional African country as well was almost uncomfortable to watch to think that Eddie Murphy actually thought that his portrayal could reflect any real culture.I will give the movie this: it has heart. The actors look like they're having a good time, and I like most of the performances, but they're left on a bland script, tired story, and unfunny jokes. Overall, this movie tries, and it functions as a film, but if you're looking for a classic, this isn't one, and if this is the best Eddie Murphy film, what does that say about the rest?

Eddie Murphy starting make some appearances in disguised as the Barber Shop's crew...they stolen the movie,inventive and unique all the characters are funny and remarkable the owner lies all the time saying that have met a lot of famous people... denied at once by the others...the Jewish telling unfunny jokes....this kind of disguise became a Murphy's trademark for the next pictures!!! Anyway the movie is pretty good with a fine plot...Murphy and Arsenio Hall has a good performance as Prince and servant,the movie probable was in my opinion the Eddie Murphy's second best movie ever...but actually since the Norbit he is no longer funny as before....once more even l'd the official Special Edition released in DVD with a lot of extras it don't have the dubbed version available unfortunately...so go to Netflix!!! Resume: First Watch: 1991 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD-Netflix / Rating: 8,5

I love this movie. I think it is definitely one of Eddie Murphy's best films. Eddie Murphy plays Akeem who is the Prince of Zamunda. Him and his friend Semmi travel to USA to look for a queen. The area they travel to is a run down part of Queens. They both start working at McDowells which is a rip off restaurant of McDonald's. There Akeem meets Lisa McDowell who is sweet, caring and smart. What I love about this film is the humor and the characters such as King Jaffe and Mr McDowell. Also the funny concepts such as Soul Glo and of course McDowell's make the film memorable. I think the setting of Queens fit the movie perfect, I don't think if it was set in Los Angeles it would of had the same appeal. So i gave it 10/10 because no matter how many times in watch it I always find it hilarious. If you're looking for a good laugh then I recommended watching this film!

This is one of my favorite comedies of all times. My brothers and I used to watch it over and over again, and knew some of the dialogues by heart.Silly, outrageous with a pinch of romance, this movie is just fun. An African prince is tired of being a prince and wants to live a normal life to experience that, wants to experience love and not to be handed everything. He lives everything behind, takes a few millions (ha!) and arrives into a working class NY neighborhood in his fancy car. He gets a job as a cleaner in a second rate burger place, he fancies the owner's daughter, but she already has a suitor, who is cooler than he is. Said like this, is sounds uninteresting, but all the gags, situations,dialogues and acting make this work in inexplicable ways.Eddie Murphy is great in his different roles in the film. Arsenio Hall, cheeky and hilarious, and the perfect counterbalance to Eddie. Earl Jones regal as always, Amos is very sweet, and Eriq La Salle is just totally hateable in his role of Mr shiny curls. These days movie studios spend millions on digital flare, but they lack something basic: imagination, a good sense of humour, and the right actors to make magic happen out of the simplest of scripts.