Coming To America (1988)

[Flick James]

Bad Movies won the coin toss.

I watched this the night before last. My wife was flipping through channels, there it was, and we both said "why not?" I hadn't seen it in years.

I have always been fascinated with this movie. It really is a bad movie on many levels. The fictional African country, Arsenio Hall, the cheesy generic African accents, Arsenio Hall, the bad 80's music, Arsenio Hall, the stereotypical New York caricatures, oh, and did I mention Arsenio Hall?

But then, it's got these moments of comedy gold laced throughout. The whole Soul Glo schtick was hilarious. Oh, and thank the stars for the barber shop guys. If it weren't for them that movie would have been about 60% less entertaining. I found myself rejoicing every time they showed up. And then there's the whole "McDowell's" bit. I still can't figure out if John Amos is hitting my funnybone because he's being legitimately funny or if it's "so-bad-it's-good" funny.

There were moments when I would be laughing because something was genuinely funny, like the Black Awareness Rally scene (pure gold), and moments when my wife and I would look at each other and laugh because of how bad something was. This movie is like good and bad movie meeting to form a perfect storm. Take for example the scene where an unknown Samuel L. Jackson comes on the screen to rob the restaurant. Sammy L just absolutely takes over the screen in over-the-top hilarious fashion as only Sammy L can deliver, followed by Arsenio Hall forcing my beverage out of my nostrils with his ridiculous "freeze you diseased rhinocerous pizzle" line. Whether it happened or not, I like to imagine that Arsenio Hall, when filming that scene, was brought to the sobering realization that this unknown Samuel Jackson guy was about 100 times more talented than he. Well, it would only be a very short few years before Arsenio would completely erase himself from public consciousness.

Okay, so I'm picking on the man a bit more than I intended to. Moving on.

Anyway, this movie, in my humble opinion, is, and will always be, a classic on two big levels. It will always be remembered for it's moments of genuine comic brilliance, and also for it's moments of outright laugh-out-loud badness. One of those movies that could only have existed because it was made at that perfect moment in 1988 when Arsenio Hall was well known and Eddie Murphy's career was just starting to take a dump. It could not have happened at any other time.

[The Burgomaster]

I always get plenty of laughs out of this movie.

[voltron]

I like it when the owner of McDowells's says "MacDonalds had the big mac, we got the big Mc" 

[Flick James]

I like it when the owner of McDowells's says "MacDonalds had the big mac, we got the big Mc" 

I love that too, and that it's the same sandwich minus the sesame seeds.

[Hammock Rider]

  I thought it was pretty funny. When I feel like bossing someone around I sometimes clap my hands and call for the Royal Wipers. If the other person has seen the film they usually laugh.

[Robocop]

I don't think its a bad movie at all. Eddie Murphy does a exceptional job playing multiple characters, the acting is solid, the story has focus and great direction, and most importantly its funny as hell. I'm not stretching it when I say its one of my all time favorite comedies which in a way paved the way for The Nutty Professor, another Eddie Murphy classic.

Although I will say the majority of films Murphy's dished out this past decade have been woeful.     

[joejoe]

I always thought of this movie as "not great,but not terrible" eddie murphy film.it does has some good moments.

[claws]

I didn't see that many Eddie Murphy movies back in the day because I was living in Germany at that time. Meaning, you'll get a dubbed Eddie Murphy. Imagine a white German guy dubbing the voice of Eddie Murphy while trying to sound funny and "black". Awful, I just couldn't get into that.
I did however rent a couple of Eddie Murphy movies on tape at U.S. Military videostores on base throughout the years, but Coming To America was never part of it.
I should check it out because it sound hilarious.

[Flick James]

I didn't see that many Eddie Murphy movies back in the day because I was living in Germany at that time. Meaning, you'll get a dubbed Eddie Murphy. Imagine a white German guy dubbing the voice of Eddie Murphy while trying to sound funny and "black".

Wow. I must experience this. I would think it would be hilarious.

[Mr. DS]

The Soul Glo bit is as perfect as comedy gets IMHO.  Also the barber shop scenes are comedy gold.  However, a lot of the other parts of the movie are hit or miss.  Overall, its a good film.

[ChaosTheory]

"Damn shame what they did to that dog."


Yeah, I'm a fan; the barber shop scenes especially are gold!

[RCMerchant]

I didn't see that many Eddie Murphy movies back in the day because I was living in Germany at that time. Meaning, you'll get a dubbed Eddie Murphy. Imagine a white German guy dubbing the voice of Eddie Murphy while trying to sound funny and "black".

Wow. I must experience this. I would think it would be hilarious.

I agree! 

[JPickettIII]

I always like this movie. I never realized that the robber was Mr Jackson. I liked the fact that Eddie Murphy did multiple roles in the film.  Great movie.  I would almost say that this a good movie, not a bad movie.

Later,

John

[Skull]

I love that the two bums were the stockbrokers in Trading Places... :)

[MrMari]

"Sexual Chocolate!"

"Dat boys good, I like em.'"

The movie is filled with endless classic lines. The scene where Eddie gets his queen to hop on one leg and bark like a dog...just funny stuff.