I didn't really experience the 80s, since I was born right in the middle of it, in 1985. Therefore, the decade I remember most vividly is the 90s. However, I perfectly recall the TV reruns of several iconic 80s movies, and one of my favorites was Coming To America, better known in Spanish as "Un Príncipe en New York." So you can imagine the wave of nostalgia I felt when I found this gem on Netflix 😄. For me, it was like a trip down memory lane. But was this movie really as good as I remember it?

Yo no viví como tal la década de los 80, ya que nací a plena mitad, es decir, en 1985, por lo tanto la década que recuerdo a plenitud es la de los 90, sin embargo recuerdo perfectamente las retransmisiones por TV de varias películas que fueron íconos de los 80, y una de las que más me gustaba era Coming To America, mejor conocida en español como "Un Príncipe en New York", así que ya ustedes pueden imaginar el arrebato de nostalgia que sentí cuando encontré esta joya en Netflix 😄 para mi fue como un viaje al pasado, pero ¿Era tan buena esta película como la recuerdo?.

Prince Akeem is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Zamunda in Africa. However, when his parents tell him that he will have to marry a young woman he doesn't know, he feels emotionally suffocated and decides to escape with Semmi, his loyal assistant and advisor. But he experiences great culture shock when they arrive in none other than the Queens neighborhood in New York, and even tries to integrate into a commoner's life, working in a fast food restaurant, and it is there that he meets true love.

It goes without saying that one of the film's strengths lies in its star, Eddie Murphy, who has always been known for his talent. However, in this film, he went a step further, showcasing his versatility and acting skills in not just one, but four different roles. He obviously shone in the lead role (Prince Akeem), but we also have Clarence, the eccentric barber, the soul singer Randy Watson, and the one who surprised me the most, the elderly Jewish man Saul. He was the most surprising because he was a white character, and while the makeup department certainly deserves much of the credit, Murphy did an excellent job with each role, modifying gestures and speech patterns. It's also worth mentioning that previously (especially in the first half of the 20th century), this had only been done in the vaudeville comedy genre, but in reverse: white characters dressed as Black people, but with the intention of satirizing them.

No hace falta decir que uno de los fuertes de esta película está en su protagonista, pues Eddie Murphy siempre se caracterizó por ser muy talentoso, sin embargo en este film fue un paso más allá y destacó por su versatilidad y habilidad de interpretación en no solo uno, sino en cuatro roles diferentes: Obviamente se lució con el rol principal (El príncipe Akeem) pero también tenemos a Clarence, el excéntrico barbero, el cantante de soul Randy Watson y el que más me sorprendió, el anciano Judío Saul, fue el que más me sorprendió porque era un personaje blanco, y obviamente que el departamento de caracterización se lleva buena parte del crédito, pero Murphy hizo un excelente trabajo interpretativo con cada personaje: modificando gestos y formas de hablar. Por otra parte también tendríamos que mencionar que anteriormente (sobre todo para la primera mitad del siglo XX) esto solo se había hecho en el género teatral cómico vodevil, pero a la inversa, es decir, personajes blanco que se caracterizaban como negros, pero con la intención satirizarlos.

Although the film is a satire, it touches on very real themes such as the search for identity, and especially culture shock. Prince Akeem and Semmi arrive in New York like most immigrants, drawn by the "American Dream," "The Land of Opportunity," but they are confronted head-on with the reality of, as the great Axl Rose would say, "Welcome to the Jungle," because it is nothing more than a concrete jungle. That's the impression given by such a congested city, with so much activity where only the strongest survive. There are opportunities, yes, of course, but also dangers and challenges to face, dangers that neither of them, and especially Akeem, had to face before because he was a prince. Nevertheless, New York offered him the opportunity to grow and mature by taking on responsibilities, although Lisa also played a significant role in that.

We must also highlight Arsenio Hall's performance in his four distinct roles: Semmi (Akeem's assistant), Reverend Brown, the barber Morris, and the one that made me laugh the most, the exotic, ugly girl from the club, the one who tried to be sexy but was actually scary 😄 🤣 He also played two characters in that scene (the frightened Semmi and the ugly girl)

I don't know if it could be considered a cult film or not, but all in all, I loved it 😄 and it was so nice to rediscover it. What do you think? Have you seen it?