Coming to America (1988)

★ 6.9 1h 57m 4,699 votes IMDb
Sign in to rate this film
Coming to America

Where to Watch

Netflix Netflix Watch
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video Watch
Disney Plus Disney Plus Watch
Max Max Watch
Hulu Hulu Watch
Paramount Plus Paramount Plus Watch
Apple TV Plus Apple TV Plus Watch
Peacock Peacock Watch
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll Watch
Tubi TV Tubi TV Watch
Pluto TV Pluto TV Watch
Plex Plex Watch

Rent / Buy

Rent

Apple TV Apple TV Rent
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Rent
Amazon Video Amazon Video Rent
YouTube YouTube Rent
Vudu Vudu Rent
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home Rent

Buy

Apple TV Apple TV Buy
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Buy
Amazon Video Amazon Video Buy
YouTube YouTube Buy
Vudu Vudu Buy
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home Buy

Cast

Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul Age 65 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA Edward "Eddie" Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, voice actor, film director, producer, comedian, and singer. He is the second-highest grossing actor in motion picture history. H...
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall as Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown Age 71 · Cleveland, Ohio, USA Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1955)  is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his rol...
Shari Headley
Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell Age 61 · Queens, New York, USA Shari Headley (born July 15, 1964) is an American actress. Headley made her acting debut on The Cosby Show in 1985. Since then her career has mostly focused on television acting; she is perhaps best k...
John Amos
John Amos as Cleo McDowell Died 2024 · Newark, New Jersey, USA John Amos (December 27, 1939 – August 21, 2024) was an American actor and retired football player. He is best known for his role as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries "Roots" and for por...
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer Died 2024 · Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen,...
Madge Sinclair
Madge Sinclair as Queen Aoleon Died 1995 · St. Ann, Jamaica W.I. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Madge Dorita Sinclair (28 April 1938 – 20 December 1995) was a Jamaican American character actress. Description above from the Wikipedia article Madge Sinclair...

Audience Reviews

Gimly 5/10 Apr 12, 2019
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 appeal._
r96sk 7/10 Mar 05, 2021
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 Faison (landlord) are the most noteworthy in terms of those away from the lead, while there is even an appearance from someone named Samuel L. Jackson - what ever happened to that guy?!

I wanted/anticipated much stronger humour, if only due to Murphy's presence. I can't say I laughed that much, which is disappointing. The romance parts are probably more memorable to me, even if it's kinda familiar in those regards. With all that said, I can see why loads thoroughly enjoy this - it just didn't fully land on me, personally.

Still worth viewing and I'm very much up to see the sequel.
Wuchak 10/10 Mar 07, 2021
_**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 meets the shining daughter of the owner (Shari Headley). Is she the one? Will she find a fast-food mop boy appealing enough to marry?

As noted in my title blurb, "Coming to America" is my all-time favorite comedy. Why? Simply because it's a laugh-riot from beginning to end. The first time I saw it was on TV in 2000 and I couldn't stop laughing; I saw it again last night (after purchasing it) and it had the same effect.

Everything works here -- the characters, the jokes, the story -- to make "Coming to America" one of the greatest comedies ever made.

GRADE: A+
Kamurai 7/10 Mar 10, 2021
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 African one at that.

I do think this is consistently funny and has maintained over 30 years, so definitely check this out if you haven't.
tmdb55527033 Nov 05, 2023
_Coming to America_ is a classic 80's comedy with excellent performances by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The film's humor holds up well over time, and the duo's ability to portray a variety of different characters is impressive. While some aspects of the film may be dated, it remains a hilarious and heartwarming story about love and acceptance. Overall, _Coming to America_ is a timeless classic and one of the greatest comedies of the 80’s. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh.

Similar Movies