#zamunda

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ZAMUNDA FOREVER!!

Plot: The African monarch Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet this unexpected heir and build a relationship with his son.

In line with Hollywood’s agenda to cash in on older properties by releasing sequels and remakes years after the original, Coming to America is next to receive such a treatment. Do we need a sequel to Coming to America? No, of course we do not. The original was a pleasant romantic comedy about the good guy who gets the girl, delivered through a fish-out-of-water narrative, and though it may have not aged too well due to some sexist and racist quirks, it is otherwise a perfectly enjoyable little film. However that movie ends in the way where all characters get their deserved conclusions and the story is, well, ended. So a sequel really wasn’t necessary yet here we are, courtesy of the underpaid Amazon warehouse workers. The result? 

In a way it’s like a high school reunion. It’s good to see everyone again and have a little catch up with each person, but afterwards you’re likely to forget the entire event quite swiftly and move on. That is how this movie is. If you’re a fan of the original, you are sure to enjoy the call-backs and rehashed gags that played so well in the first one, as well as the abundance of cameos and returning characters, but as a whole this movie doesn’t bring anything new to the table nor is the story that interesting. In fact, the plot is as generic as one gets, where Eddie Murphy’s Akeem discovers he has a son, so he goes to find him and then they bond. Along the way everyone learns a bunch of life lessons. Its predictable in every sense of the word, however as a casual watch it’s fairly entertaining. Though one thing I have to mention is the misleading title. One assumes folks will be coming to America again, and they do, but only for 5 minutes! That’s right, there’s much coming to America in Coming 2 America! I need to get Cinema Sins on this!

One thing that did stand out to me as I was watching the movie was how much it reminded me of Black Panther. The entire visual palette felt like it came straight out of that film, and honestly all that was missing was Kendrick Lamar’s booming tunes! I wondered why this was the case, so I got out my magnifying glass and investigated. The investigation lasted less than 10 seconds as a simple Google search provided me with the answer - Ruth E. Carter. What, you have no clue who Ruth E. Carter is? Shame on you! How can you not know who Ruth E. Carter is? Everyone knows her! She’s like so popular like oh my gosh..... Okay, in reality I had no clue who she was either, but she’s the lucky lady who won an Oscar for creating the fashions of Wakanda. That’s right, she was the costume designer on Black Panther. And as it happens she’s on same duty in Coming 2 America and it shows. Under her masterful guidance everyone in this film look spectacular. The results are hypnotic; you can’t take your eyes off the screen lest you miss some majestic pattern or a finely crafted angle of fabric rising in the air with true fierceness. There’s so much colour and unique designs that it would impress even Miranda Priestly! Apologies, I recently rewatched The Devil Wears Prada so now I’m all in on that Streep action and her “Truth is, there's no one who can do what I do”. Ah, so good!! Anyway, back to the subject at hand, the costumes in this film look amazing and alone are worth the price of admission. It’s like walking through a fashion museum. I felt so vogue watching this movie, and boy you know I mean business as I don’t drop my ‘vogues’ lightly!

The cast all seem to be having great fun here, however all the returning cast members seem to be acting way over the top. Of course in the original everyone overacted too, however in the sequel everyone seems to making a caricature of a caricature, if you know what I mean. Any eccentric characteristics that characters had in the original are dialled up even more and it does distract a little. Nevertheless as a whole it’s nice to see everyone return, with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall once again playing multiple roles, with the return of the barbershop boys being the most pleasant if not fleeting comeback. Also, James Earl Jones appears in this movie for a prolonged cameo for absolutely no reason besides getting a paycheck. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always great to hear Mufasa’s strong powerful voice, but his appearance in this movie turns out to be completely unnecessary. On the other hand Wesley Snipes as an evil general half steals the entire show, being fully aware how ridiculous his character is, so he plays it broader than the side of a barn. He relishes in chewing up every piece of scenery he’s in and to be honest its a lot of fun watching him do so. Also a shout-out to KiKi Layne who very much reminded me of a younger Michonne of The Walking Dead and it was nice to see her challenge the aged gender politics of the original.

Coming 2 America lacks any reason to exist, and not all jokes hit, however it’s nice to see these characters again and fashionistas may rejoice, as since lockdown has stopped fashion shows from going full speed ahead, Coming 2 America is here to give you the show!

Overall score: 5/10

SPOILERS BELOW

Here’s how I think it could have been a better movie:

-I wish they had made Imani the antagonist instead of her brother whom we had never met. She would have had better character motivation, a pre-established relationship with the protagonist, and would have made more sense to the overarching theme of the movie.

-I wish Akeem and Semmi spent most of the movie in Queens again with Lavelle, while they showed us more of Kiki Layne in Zamunda proving how fit she is for the throne by defending it against Imani (if she was the antogonist) and we could see a real internal struggle there because Imani definitely would have some convincing arguments to sway her.

-I wish Lavelle would refuse to come to Zamunda, but they keep in the part where he convinces Akeem to be a better king, and also Lavelle could have his own arch of coming into manhood.

Eddie Murphy is Wearing South African Brand MaXhosa in Coming 2 America

Messages of praise have been pouring in for SA. luxury brand MaXhosa by Laduma Ngxokolo after Eddie Murphy was seen in a jersey made by the designer in the upcoming movie Coming 2 America . Coming 2 America is an upcoming American comedy film directed by Craig Brewer, from a screenplay by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, and David Sheffield, and a story by Blaustein, Sheffield, and Justin…