Coming to America (1988) movie poster

Coming to America (1988)

"This summer, Prince Akeem discovers America."
ThumbScore
👍 87%Google users liked it ⓘ
Critics Score
🎬 60%
ComedyRomance

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Where to Watch

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Director
Runtime
1h 57m
Rated
R
Country
United States of America
Language
English
TMDB Rating
6.9/10 (4,669 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes
73%
Metacritic
47

Cast

Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul · 73% avg
Arsenio Hall as Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown · 79% avg
Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell
John Amos as Cleo McDowell · 76% avg
James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer · 76% avg
Madge Sinclair as Queen Aoleon
Eriq La Salle as Darryl Jenks · 81% avg
Allison Dean as Patrice McDowell

Is Coming to America good?

Yes. 87% of real audiences liked it, by Google's archived audience score. Critics scored it lower at 60%, but audiences disagreed.

Where it ranks on ThumbScore

Rank in its genre
#289 / 2672 · Comedy
Rank in its year
#18 / 67 · 1988
Rank among its director's films
#4 / 12 · John Landis

By audience score, among films with 500 or more votes.

Overview

An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble. Wikipedia ↗

About the Film

Coming to America is a 1988 American romantic comedy directed by John Landis. Eddie Murphy stars as Akeem Joffer, the sheltered, idealistic crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to Queens, New York in search of a wife who will love him for himself rather than his wealth and title, accompanied by his loyal servant Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. Disguising themselves as impoverished students, Akeem and Semmi take jobs at a fast-food restaurant called McDowell's and Akeem falls for Lisa McDowell, played by Shari Headley, the owner's daughter.

The barbershop scenes, in which Murphy and Hall's various characters argued, told jokes, and bickered, became the film's most beloved element. Coming to America earned $288 million worldwide on a $39 million budget.

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