Page 2 - MidWeek Kauai - April 14, 2021

2 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK APRIL 14, 2021
Rotten
A Funny But Forgettable Sequel
BY CHRIS MCKINNEY
PAPAYAS
As someone who was a child during the ’ 80s, ripe at the time for some of the simple, bone- headed comedy of that era, it felt almost like my duty to watch the sequel. I’ m not going to lie. It was hard for me to press play. But I finally managed to watch Coming 2 America on Amazon Prime.
Murray and Adam Sandler have evolved into fine dra- matic actors.
(‘Coming 2 America’) is a nostalgia explosion, with cameos of stars from back in the day (En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Gladys Knight, Morgan Freeman).
Does the comedy block- buster exist anymore? The last really good ones I re- member seeing are What We Do in the Shadows and Spy, but those came out years ago (2014 and 2015).
Like its predecessor, Com- ing 2 America stars Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem and Arsenio Hall as the prince’s loyal companion, Semmi.
Academy, Stripes, Ghost- busters and Trading Places, which also starred Murphy. I loved these movies as a child. Watching Coming 2 America is like hanging out with old friends who only want to talk about the good old days. I don’t begrudge them the desire to fondly look back. I occasionally fondly look back. But I like spending more time looking at the now and yet-to-be. I figure I’ ll have time to look back when I can’t move for- ward anymore.
and Hall are still masters at playing different characters, and Wesley Snipes, whose role as antagonist General Izzi, effectively adds an ele- ment of violent-minded buf- foonery. The costuming and pageantry are as impressive as it was in the first film, but overall, this is a forgettable movie.
Is our country slowly los- ing its sense of humor?
The movie is a nostalgia explosion, with cameos of stars from back in the day (En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Gladys Knight, Morgan Freeman), and the entire spectacle is a reminder of a time when comedies could just be absolutely silly while attempting to ham-handedly convey some sort of moral theme.
I was reluctant to watch Coming 2 America because I was afraid it would almost entirely hinge on nostalgia, which it does. I was afraid that the comedic talents of the young actors would wilt under the legendary presence of Murphy, which they do.
Coming 2 America stars Eddie Murphy (right) and is directed by Craig Brewer. PHOTO BY CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION/ AP, FILE
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I think of films like Police
Is this a good movie? Not really. There’s no depth to these characters. The plot is stunningly predicable. Does it have its amusing mo- ments? Absolutely. Murphy
Theaters that have sur- vived are only recently be- ginning to open. The Mar- vel Cinematic Universe has staked its claim to replace what was once the main- stream comedy. Saturday Night Live alums like Bill
But the sequel just left me wondering: Is comedy not coming, but leaving Ameri- ca, and leaving us with our comedic relics?
I’ m not quite sure what a comedic feature film is sup- posed to look like in 2021 and beyond.
If you loved the first film, you’ ll probably like this one. For appreciators of the origi- nal, that is enough reason to see it.
chrismckinney808@gmail.com
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The dif- ficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 11
RATING: SILVER