Product Details

• Actors: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair
• Directors: John Landis
• Writers: Eddie Murphy, Barry W. Blaustein, David Sheffield
• Producers: David Sosna, George Folsey Jr., Leslie Belzberg, Mark Lipsky
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: July 22, 1997
• Run Time: 116 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (146 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301217977
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #319 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #1 in	Video > Comedy > Comedy Stars > Eddie Murphy
  #1 in	Video > Comedy > Comedy Directors > John Landis
  #2 in	Video > Drama > Love & Romance > Marriage

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Half of the characters in this 1988 John Landis potboiler seem to be played either by Eddie Murphy or costar Arsenio Hall, swaddled in elaborate Rick Baker makeup appliances that render them unrecognizable but also weirdly immobile. As a pampered African prince who journeys incognito to Queens, New York, to find a bride who will love him just for himself, Murphy manages to look smug and naive at the same time. There are enjoyable sequences of Murphy's Prince Akeem applying his lordly manner to his new job in a fast-food emporium, and falling for the boss's spirited daughter (Shari Headley), who teaches him how to party down, American style. But the fish-out-water premise is never fully exploited. Star spotters will have a field day locating Cuba Gooding Jr., Donna Summer, Louie Anderson, Vondie Curtis Hall, E.R.'s Eriq La Salle, and Samuel L. Jackson in their minuscule supporting roles. --David Chute

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, but DVD is in dire need of an upgrade., March 13, 2004

By	deaner73 (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coming to America (DVD)

No doubt at all that, 'Coming to America,' is one of Eddie Murphy's finest movies of all. A true comedy classic, this film will have you rolling from start to finish at the zany characters and performance throughout.

The DVD itself, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. As far as extras go the only ammenity offered is 1 lousy trailer. Also, the video transfer itself is far from pristine and the Dolby 5.1 audio track sounds like it could still be sweetend up. Sure, i suppose the fact that this DVD was authored back in 1999 may explain why the disc comes across as a bit primitive in terms of bells and whistles, but with that being said, it's high time for a proper re-release to do this comedy classic some audio-visual justice!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious classic that will live in our hearts forever!!!, December 17, 2001

By	DBK (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This is one of my all time-favorite African-American movies. First of all, Eddie Murphy is hilarious (in all of his roles). Arsenio Hall is a perfect foil for Eddie's hijinks. Eddie let his full range of talent show in this film; he played an innocent person who grows into a mature adult right in front of our eyes and realizes that there is a price to pay for love; whether or not you are born into royalty. This is one of those movies that a person watches over and over again and ends up reciting the lines as the movies is playing. James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair are wonderful in this movie as well as the King and Queen. Madge Sinclair was one of the world's best actresses and I miss her greatly. She tells James Earl Jones "put a sock in it, Geoffrey, the boy is in love." Nobody can deliver that line to a black king, except a black queen. John Amos, (whom I have loved since Good Times), is a great actor as well. He plays the part of a black businessman so well, and as a father he takes no stuff off of the King. He tells James Earl Jones, "I will break my foot off in your royal _____); now that's a ghetto father for you. James Earl Jones knew where to draw the line with Cleo McDowell.

I also like the fact that the Kingdom of Zamunda was filled with kindness, and the people were happy, the royal family was truly wealthy and had everything. You know, this movie is truly a fantasy and helps us escape from our everyday lives. Just to see the Queen and King eating breakfast and talking to their son on a "speaker phone" because the table is so long, is funny. The King and Queen taking their entourage to Queens when they received the telegram to send $1 million to Semmi who had spent up all his pocket change is one of my favorite scenes. That music that is playing during the sequence when the entourage arrives in Queens is so wonderful, moving and swirling, I am buying the soundtrack just to get that song. When I get married, I would like that song to play as my "court" walks down the aisle before me.

All the cameos in this movie are great as well. Nobody can play a doped-up thug like Samuel L. Jackson; Samuel is a natural at playing a killer. Also, Louie Anderson was funny, so was Eriq LaSalle, and Alison Dean.

Now the guys in the barbershop have to be taken from classic characters in the black community. In all the black neighborhoods I have been in during my whole life; there has got to be a black barbershop full of men eating, talking stuff, and cutting hair. When "Clarence" says that Martin Luther King, Jr. ran up to him and hit him in the chest, I just crack up, cause Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prophet of non-violence. And, Eddie Murphy playing a white man is too funny, and a Jewish white man on top of that. Now, that takes creativity; and comic genuis, and Eddie's got it. And, Arsenio's portrayal of Rev. Brown is right on target, there is always some country preacher in the neighborhood that comes to every event, eats up the food, and blesses the weddings, blesses the children, and buries the dead.

One of my favorite parts is when Lisa tells Prince Akeem, she cannot marry him; because he lied to her about his identity. That made Akeem grow up very fast, and learn that nobody; no matter who he is, can buy love.

The clothes in this movie are also wonderful. Deborah Nadoolman did a great job showing how royalty would dress in a foreign country where it is warm, Also, how they would dress in Queens during the winter; those fur coats Madge Sinclair had on were fantastic and so were the suits worn by the King himself. His coat of an entire lion's skin was dramatic and the diamond eyes on that lion's head were cool.

The ending this cinderella story was great, love did really win out in the end.

Well, I could go on and on about how much I liked this movie but, I am going to stop now. Get this movie and keep it in your video collection so you can watch it and laugh over and over.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, January 19, 2005

By	D. DUROSE - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Coming to America (DVD)

A charming, polished and original comedy featuring a great performance from Murphy and some memorable laughs. Some of my favorite scenes are:

- when they all get up from the leather couch and there is soul glow grease all over it from where their heads were ("Just let your Soul GLLLOOOWW!!").

- when Samuel L. Jackson robs the McDowell's restaurant that Murphy and Hall are working at. The ensuing scene between Jackson and Murphy is classic.

- when Murphy gets his hair cut off in the barbershop (Snip. "that'll be 10 dollars").

- that "She's Your Queen to Be" song.

There are so many more scenes that I love that I could mention. A must-see!