with the retreads and overabundance of nostalgia, there's a lot of joy in seeing so many beloved characters back together; But a happy reunion can't re-create the original's spark, innocence and masterful comedy
while the excellent 1988 original still holds up as both raucous romantic comedy and Black fairy tale, the follow-up is a toothless, fleetingly funny revisit with some moments of greatness yet too much of the same old story to feel fresh
less a sequel than a remake featuring a younger actor going through the same narrative paces as Eddie Murphy in the original, Coming 2 America includes so many nods to its predecessor that it feels like a feature-length Easter egg in search of a movie
Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are really funny in a variety of roles, but the story is lacking; Ultimately "Coming 2 America" isn't a sequel that ruins the original. But it doesn't improve upon it, either
chock full of callbacks, in-jokes, knowing references and replays, "Coming 2 America" is adamantly, unabashedly one for the fans. And, judged solely by that mission, it's a straight-up, if modest, success
a tired sequel to the 80s comedy hit; the movie is as tired and middle-aged as Akeem himself; Eddie Murphy is oddly waxy and stately, and has no authority figures he can really play off
a safe, stodgy, repetitive follow-ups; This feels less like a movie and more like one of those reunion specials where the cast of a beloved old TV show returns to play their characters again, recreating their pratfalls and repeating their catchphrases
"Coming 2 America", largely in possession of the first film's better qualities. It's silly of mind and open of heart, full of visual and sonic eye candy while telling a predictable story with pleasurable generosity
"Coming 2 America" is a lovable movie that's better than the sum of its parts, thanks to the years that have passed and the accumulation of warm feelings that the 1988 original has acquired over the years
"Coming 2 America" falls short of its predecessor but offers enough good-natured laughs and spirit to make the journey worthwhile; It's a colourful, likeable re-spinning, replete with big dance sequences, a string of cameos, obvious messaging..
by Johnny Oleksinski [New York Post ]
by Chuck Bowen [Slant Magazine ]
by Mae Abdulbaki [ScreenRant ]
by Ann Hornaday [Washington Post ]
by Peter Bradshaw [The Guardian ]
by Charlotte O'Sullivan [London Evening Standard ]
