Two reasons to watch this:

1- It is so original and funny. It takes quite a few risks, but is all the better for it. The situation, the screenplay, the acting.. everything clicks... it is just funny from start to finish and Lisa and sister are pretty to look at too...

2- To see how far Eddie Murphy has fallen. The forced sequel was released this year and stank the joint up. Watch this before you masochistically watch that to see the downfall.

I don't think it is John Landis's best film or anything, but there are a lot of very likable things about this film. I agree that when the film slows down, some the jokes do too and the pacing lags slightly then. That said, it is confidently directed, has a sweet story and the jokes that work do outweigh the ones that don't quite. The film looks good too, with some interesting locations and lush cinematography and the soundtrack is memorable. Eddie Murphy does a fine job carrying the film and manages to be very likable, not to mention some fun cameos of his courtesy of clever make-up. Arsenio Hall is good too, and it is wonderful to see James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair again, same with scene stealers Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy. So in conclusion, I like Coming to America very much, and Murphy does shine here. 8/10 Bethany Cox

In some ways, seeing this film is a tad disturbing to me. First, the film has a pretty big budget and plenty of gloss--and this has the effect of muting Eddie Murphy's natural comedic talents. Second, while it's obvious that he and his buddy Arsenio had a great time making this film, I felt like I was watching an inside joke and just didn't see what all the hubbub was about, as the movie made huge bucks at the box office. While there were some decent moments here and there, it just seemed like Murphy was standing around smiling at the camera expecting to be loved and adored instead of being funny. This was especially true during the scenes where he and Arsenio played multiple roles--it just wasn't all that funny.