Coming to America
1988 · Movie · R · 117 min · ★ 6.9 · 59% critics
An African prince sets out to find a princess and ends up in Queens, New York with his loyal friend. Disguised as an impoverished immigrant, he quickly gets pulled into a new job, new friendships, and escalating trouble with new enemies.
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Details
- Years
- 1988
- Release date
- 1988-06-29
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Critic score
- 59/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.9/10 (4,750 votes)
- Box office
- $288,800,000
About
If you want a classic 80s comedy with fish-out-of-water chaos and plenty of laughs, Coming to America is a great pick; Not for you if you dislike crude humor or want something fresher than Boomerang or Beverly Hills Cop II.
Pros: hilarious fish-out-of-water; strong lead performances; charming romance | Cons: humor may not land; some dated elements; pacing can drag
Themes
- new york city
- fast food restaurant
- prince
- fake identity
- heir to the throne
- royal family
- fish out of water
- rich man
- searching for love
- rich family
- satirical
- pretending to be poor
- +9 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1989 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Makeup and Hairstyling · 1989 · nominated
Cast & crew
Eddie Murphy
as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
Arsenio Hall
as Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
Shari Headley
as Lisa McDowell
John Amos
as Cleo McDowell
James Earl Jones
as King Jaffe Joffer
Madge Sinclair
as Queen Aoleon
Eriq La Salle
as Darryl Jenks
Allison Dean
as Patrice McDowell
Frankie Faison
as Landlord
Louie Anderson
as Maurice
Directed by John Landis