What was interesting was that there was a subtle dig at this movie about halfway through, where the protagonist makes a comment about most American Movies these days either being remakes, or sequals to movies that don't need a sequal. Honestly, I didn't find that comment all that funny, which sort gives you the impression that I didn't actually find this film to be all that funny. That would actually be a pretty accurate assumption because, yeah, I didn't find this film to be all that funny, and it is true that it is actually a sequal that really didn't need to be made.
Anyway, the film is set at a time where Akeem has now had children, but his is still the crown prince. However, his father is on the verge of death, which means that he is about to become king. In the previous film, he went to the United States to find himself a bride, and he did. The idea was that he wanted to wife that wouldn't hop on one leg and bark like a dog at his command. However, what ended up happening is that the neighbouring kingdom wasn't all that happy with the fact that Akeem didn't marry the woman whom they had prepared for this purpose. Also, they aren't happy that he doesn't have a male heir, but it turned out that when they were in the United States, that he did sleep with somebody, and she gave birth to an illegitimate heir, who happens to be male, so Akeem travels to America to find him.
In all honesty, the scenes in the United States are few and far between. In fact, the majority of the film takes place in Zamunda, which happens to be a pretty prosperous African country. However, the military junta bordering them is placing pressure on Akeem to provide a male heir so that they can marry into the Zamundan royal line. A lot of the film also has to do with the new crown prince coming to terms with the fact that he will be inheriting a kingdom.
Actually, much of the film has to do with traditions, and traditions that really don't apply much more. It is interesting that when Akeem becomes king, there are many references as to how he has become a lot like his father. It is almost as if that progressive nature has disappeared, and now the fact that he is the ruler, and that tradition bears down on him, he finds it difficult to go his progressive ways. Of course, the pressure from the general is also present, and it turns out that ruling a country isn't all that easy, or at least ruling a country and resisting the pressure that will no doubt ruin its prosperity.
However, as they suggested, I really didn't feel that there was any need to make this film. While it is interesting to revisit Akeem, it also felt that there were aspects of this film that basically retrofitted the previous film. On the other hand, the scene at the job interview was quite interesting, seeing where the Duke brothers, and their company, landed up. The thing is that even though Coming to America was not a direct sequal to Trading Places, the suggestion was that they do exist in the same universe, and of course the responses from the son were quite interested. However, in the end, this film was rather bland, and despite the subtle hints at how Queens had changed due to gentrification, it really don't stand out in my mind.
Anyway, the film is set at a time where Akeem has now had children, but his is still the crown prince. However, his father is on the verge of death, which means that he is about to become king. In the previous film, he went to the United States to find himself a bride, and he did. The idea was that he wanted to wife that wouldn't hop on one leg and bark like a dog at his command. However, what ended up happening is that the neighbouring kingdom wasn't all that happy with the fact that Akeem didn't marry the woman whom they had prepared for this purpose. Also, they aren't happy that he doesn't have a male heir, but it turned out that when they were in the United States, that he did sleep with somebody, and she gave birth to an illegitimate heir, who happens to be male, so Akeem travels to America to find him.
In all honesty, the scenes in the United States are few and far between. In fact, the majority of the film takes place in Zamunda, which happens to be a pretty prosperous African country. However, the military junta bordering them is placing pressure on Akeem to provide a male heir so that they can marry into the Zamundan royal line. A lot of the film also has to do with the new crown prince coming to terms with the fact that he will be inheriting a kingdom.
Actually, much of the film has to do with traditions, and traditions that really don't apply much more. It is interesting that when Akeem becomes king, there are many references as to how he has become a lot like his father. It is almost as if that progressive nature has disappeared, and now the fact that he is the ruler, and that tradition bears down on him, he finds it difficult to go his progressive ways. Of course, the pressure from the general is also present, and it turns out that ruling a country isn't all that easy, or at least ruling a country and resisting the pressure that will no doubt ruin its prosperity.
However, as they suggested, I really didn't feel that there was any need to make this film. While it is interesting to revisit Akeem, it also felt that there were aspects of this film that basically retrofitted the previous film. On the other hand, the scene at the job interview was quite interesting, seeing where the Duke brothers, and their company, landed up. The thing is that even though Coming to America was not a direct sequal to Trading Places, the suggestion was that they do exist in the same universe, and of course the responses from the son were quite interested. However, in the end, this film was rather bland, and despite the subtle hints at how Queens had changed due to gentrification, it really don't stand out in my mind.