Coming to America poster
6.9/10 1988 1h 57m Released

This summer, Prince Akeem discovers America.

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.

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Top Cast

Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
Shari Headley
Shari Headley
Lisa McDowell
John Amos
John Amos
Cleo McDowell
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
King Jaffe Joffer
Madge Sinclair
Madge Sinclair
Queen Aoleon
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle
Darryl Jenks
Allison Dean
Allison Dean
Patrice McDowell
Frankie Faison
Frankie Faison
Landlord
Louie Anderson
Louie Anderson
Maurice
Paul Bates
Paul Bates
Oha
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Hold-Up Man
Vanessa Bell Calloway
Vanessa Bell Calloway
Imani Izzi
Calvin Lockhart
Calvin Lockhart
Colonel Izzi
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Basketball Game Vendor
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Boy Getting Haircut

Reviews

Gimly 5/10

Hasn't aged flawlessly, made some stylistic decisions that probably would have come across as weird even at the time, and not the sort of thing (American comedy) that typically appeals to me. But I can still absolutely see why _Coming to America_ is remembered as fondly as it is. I liked it by and large more than the most similar offerings of today. _Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the…

r96sk 7/10

I didn't enjoy it as much as expected, but <em>'Coming to America'</em> is nevertheless still good. Eddie Murphy is unsurprisingly the star of the film. Any notable scenes include him, which isn't a shock given the obvious and the fact he plays a number of characters; on that note, only Akeem amused me - the barber shop guys... not so much, to be honest. James Earl Jones (Jaffe), John Amos (Cleo) and Frankie…

Wuchak 10/10

_**My all-time favorite comedy**_ In "Coming to America" (1988) Eddie Murphy plays the likable prince of a rich African kingdom, Akeem. He comes to Queens to find his future queen accompanied by his best friend & servant, Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. He understandably wants a wife who will love him for who he is and not for his great riches. So they get hired at McDowell's, a McDonald's knock-off, where he…

Kamurai 7/10

Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend. A very good approach to a "Pauper and Prince" trope mix with a culture shock trope. The excellent cast involved really takes it a long way with good writing to help it along. It's admittedly not a very original story structure, so while it is not all that refreshingly unpredictable, but it's good to see a foreign royalty in an American setting, and an…

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FAQ about Coming to America

What is Coming to America about?
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…
When was Coming to America released?
Coming to America was released in 1988.
What genres does Coming to America belong to?
Coming to America is categorised as Comedy, Romance.
Who stars in Coming to America?
The cast of Coming to America includes Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, John Amos, James Earl Jones.