Movie review
March 4, 2021 · 108 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Coming 2 America.
Woke representation / casting
Predominantly Black cast fits the fictional African kingdom and American urban setting perfectly; prominent female roles appear without mismatch or explicit diversity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Includes lines confronting “conservatism” in royal traditions and discussions of updating succession rules; these sit within broader comedy rather than dominating scenes.
Identity-driven story themes
Central conflict and resolution revolve around challenging and changing the male-only succession tradition to enable female inheritance, plus family identity and cultural blending.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Mild notes on gentrification in Queens and outdated royal customs, but no sustained attack on Western systems, patriarchy in modern society, or conservative norms.
Review
Coming 2 America is a 2021 comedy sequel in which King Akeem of the fictional African kingdom Zamunda learns he fathered a son in Queens decades earlier and returns to America to bring the street-smart Lavelle back as heir amid a succession crisis and threats from a neighboring dictator. The story mixes fish-out-of-water humor, multiple Eddie Murphy roles, family bonding, and royal traditions with culture clashes between American life and African royalty. The narrative resolves by amending the kingdom’s male-only succession law to allow Akeem’s daughter to inherit the throne, alongside emphasis on strong female characters and modern family dynamics.
Woke character or canon changes
Narrative choice to alter Zamunda’s succession law for gender equality at the end; this is a visible update to the story world rather than a change to real-world canon or source material.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Multiple right-leaning reviews directly criticized the film for woke platitudes, pandering to progressive audiences, and subverting male-dominated traditions; complaints were noticeable but not dominant or widespread.
Creator track record context
Eddie Murphy scores low at 7/100 with minimal politics; Kenya Barris at 69/100 adds progressive influence through script work; other writers and director show low or classical patterns only, keeping overall moderate.
Production
