Did Eddie Murphy get any more Eddie Murphyish than this? At the height of his star power, he played pampered African Prince Akeem, seeking a new wife in New York City, plussoul singer Randy Watson (of the band Sexual Chocolate, don’t you know) and barbershop owner Clarence and old Jewish guy Saul. Let’s not forget pre-talk show Arsenio Hall as the prince’s sidekick, Semmi, as well as Rev. Brown, Morris the barber and “Extremely Ugly Girl.” (Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a boy getting a haircut, and James Earl Jones is the king.) This comedy was a huge hit, ranking third in the 1988 box-office race, and it received Oscar nominations for costume design and makeup. New York looks a lot different now, as does the national discourse on immigration. Sexual politics have changed a bit too. How will COMING TO AMERICA look now?
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