Coming to America

COMING TO AMERICA (1988) - June 16, 2011 (Umpteenth Viewing)
Having seen this a bunch of times as a kid (and loving it) I was afraid that this movie wouldn't hold up.  It totally holds up -- this is a kind of delightful film about the prince of a small but thriving African country who, unhappy with his arranged bride, decides to go to America to find a wife.  Eddie Murphy is pretty great here; his naive but intelligent Prince Akeem always feels like a real person, and not just like a charicature or an excuse to get to the jokes.  The rest of the performances are equally solid, and John Landis' very unflashy direction is pretty much perfect.  My only real complaint is that the many side characters played by Murphy and Arsenio Hall feel a little superfluous; the film essentially stops for their wacky antics (I'm thinking especially of the scene in which Murphy plays an over-the-top R&B singer, and Hall plays an over-the-top reverend), but that's a fairly minor complaint.  ***1/2