Coming to America (1988)

Nobody rewatches Coming to America for the love story. Eddie Murphy plays Akeem, a prince with servants for everything, as a guy who’s genuinely delighted to mop floors at a knockoff burger joint in Queens, and that sincerity sells the whole fantasy. Arsenio Hall’s Semmi, miserable without his royal comforts, is the perfect sidekick. The best scenes have nothing to do with the plot: Murphy and Hall vanish under makeup as a barbershop full of old men arguing about boxing, and those scenes are an all-time hangout. John Amos’s Cleo, proudly explaining why McDowell’s is totally different from a certain famous chain, is the second-best running joke. Lisa is sweet but thin, and the romance runs on rails. At 117 minutes, the middle drags. James Earl Jones as the king gets laughs out of pure booming dignity. It made $288.8 million worldwide on a reported $36M. A 7.1 because the cast is a joy and the plot is a postcard. $2,441 says the Soul Glo jingle follows you around the whole weekend and you let it.

What works: Murphy and Hall’s barbershop characters are legendary, and John Amos’s McDowell’s bits are a running joy.

What doesn’t: The romance with Lisa is thin and predictable, and the middle stretch drags at 117 minutes.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a big-hearted comedy with a cast clearly enjoying every minute.