OPINION | REVIEW: 'Coming 2 America'

It has been 33 years since Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) arrived in Queens in the hope of finding a bride who could love him for who he was and not because he was the future king of the fictional African nation of Zamunda.

While "Coming to America" was uneven (Zamunda seems a like wimpy version of Wakanda, and some of the raunchy gags involving shapely "bathers" have passed the expiration date), pairing Murphy and Arsenio Hall with makeup wizard Rick Baker resulted in some inspired moments. Baker turned the comics into a seemingly endless series of goofy eccentrics. Watching Murphy and Hall each playing as many as three characters apiece in a scene is still funny, and the two comics seem happy to be hiding behind the prosthetics.

This time around Akeem is about to assume the throne that his father Kaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones, looking remarkably hale at 90) still holds. All of Zamunda knows the current king isn't long for the world, including the military leader of the neighboring Nextdoria (Hey, Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" has a nation dubbed "Bacteria"), General Izzi (Wesley Snipes). Zamunda's economy is fairly flush, but Izzi's nation is struggling. Furthermore, Izzi still nurses a grudge over how Akeem jilted his sister in favor of Queens native Lisa (Shari Headley).

The two nations could still use a wedding to unite, but Akeem has an issue. Actually, his issue is a trio of girls. Apparently, the soon-to-be-king is still following the tradition that only men can lead the country. Despite daily reminders that he broke with tradition simply by marrying Lisa, Akeem is nervous because Izzi is eager to attack his more prosperous neighbors.

Before he can despair about the lack of a male heir the way England's Henry the VIII did, the prince's right-hand man Semmi (Hall) informs Akeem that while he has been a faithful husband and a loving father to his daughters, he actually has an illegitimate son.

Through circumstances that can't be explicitly described in a family paper, Akeem unknowingly fathered a now-31-year-old ticket scalper named Lavelle Junson (Jermaine Fowler). The younger man has some of his father's intelligence and integrity, but it's hard to get by without royal connections.

Akeem rushes to Queens in hopes of persuading the younger man to marry Izzi's daughter to prevent certain bloodshed. The lad may have management skills, but marrying simply for diplomacy is about as unfair as Akeem ignoring his heart in the first installment.

As a work of fan service, "Coming 2 America" proves remarkably effective. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot several gags involving nods to Murphy's previous movies. While Madge Sinclair isn't around to play Akeem's mother anymore, John Amos is back as his father-in-law, and actors who played small supporting roles have apparently taken great care of themselves during the last three decades. While it's a safe bet they were well-compensated, they at least seem to be enjoying themselves.

The barbershop sequences are still quite funny, and there are some amusing cameos from now-familiar performers who grew up watching the previous movie. The new soundtrack is loaded with catchy nods to its predecessor. Stick around through the credits for some pleasant surprises.

Because so much time has passed, there is a lot of new ground the film could cover. Craig Brewer and a host of screenwriters have trouble focusing on a single plot thread. Unfortunately, sexism hasn't left Zamunda or the rest of the world, so the subject deserves a more thorough take. When people tell me women are too emotional to run things, I'm struck by how calmly Angela Merkel handles crises. Having Akeem and his family wrestle with this subject could have resulted in better drama and potentially more laughs.

Similarly, Lavelle, his mom (Leslie Jones) and his uncle (Tracy Morgan) could have used a little more development. Having Lavelle struggle with his newfound inheritance should be a lot funnier. Watching Murphy's not-always-convincing attempt at passing for a commoner led to some of the funniest gags in the first movie. It's hard for Lavelle to be a fish out of water when he's not on land that long.

"Coming 2 America" thankfully doesn't simply coast on the goodwill of the previous film, but there's still a sense that Brewer and company could have found more treasure in Zamunda. With a little more imagination, they could have mined something as valuable as Wakanda's vibranium.