Coming 2 America (2021) **1/2

Much like last year's Bill & Ted Face The Music (my review here), this year another sequel arrived over 30 years after the previous film. While I only saw its predecessor, Coming To America (1988) (my review here), for the first time a few days prior, the sequel, Coming 2 America (2021), left me with the same mixed emotions I had for B&TFTM.

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are back of course and they are both mostly funny (particularly in their heavily made-up roles). In fact, almost every recognizable character from the first film returns, so there's definitely plenty of nostalgia and nods. Newcomer Jermaine Fowler is likable enough and the addition of Leslie Jones and Tracy Morgan sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Wesley Snipes was a lot of fun.

Some of the humor in C2A is updated for the times, and this being a PG-13 outing, it's a bit tamer than its forebear. There's also a strong pro-femme message running through the film, which is cool because I never felt bludgeoned by it. All in all, this is another case of a sequel that isn't terrible and has some enjoyable elements but isn't altogether necessary. I can't really see myself watching this film again.