Kong: Skull Island

 

In 2017, Warner Bros. gave us a brand new King Kong movie, Kong: Skull Island as a follow-up to their 2014 remake of Godzilla as part of a Monsterverse shared universe series of films. Building a brand new story from the ground up, this rendition of King Kong is a fresh and exciting new movie that I actually quite liked, much to my surprise. Also, I may just be psyched that I don't have to recap basically the same story for a fourth time. 

Bill Randa (played by John Goodman) is leading an expedition of an uncharted island in the South Pacific, believing it to be home to prehistoric creatures. He recruits Tracker and former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad (played by Tom Hiddleston) and anti-war photographer Mason Weaver (played by Brie Larson). They are also assigned a military escort led by Lt. Colonel Packard (played by Samuel L. Jackson) to accompany them, along with a team of surveyors led by Victor Nieves (played by John Ortiz) and seismologist Houston Brooks (played by Corey Hawkins). As part of they Survey of the island, they drop seismic charges from helicopters and the ensuing explosions anger the one and only Kong, who quickly makes his grand entrance, setting off a huge battle and ending with Kong swatting the group of helicopters out of the air and sending them spiraling in all directions of the island. Conrad, Weaver, Nieves, Brooks and one of Packard's men, Reg Slivco (played by Thomas Mann), are in one group. Packard and his surviving men are in another. Both groups have wound up separated from one another on separate parts of the island. Conrad's group encounter a group of natives and among them Hank Marlow (played by John C Reilly), a World War II pilot that was shot down and crash landed on the island back in 1944 and has been stuck there ever since. Marlow agrees to help lead them to the rendezvous point where they were supposed to meet the ship that brought them there to vacate the island. Meanwhile Packard and his men make their way to the location of one of the downed Helicopters to retrieve the heavy artillery onboard so Packard can kill Kong in retribution for what he did to his men.   

The film was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, and Derek Connelly. Together they manage to create an entirely new film that at once clearly takes influences from all the previous King Kong movies while also creating it's own separate narrative. Honestly, this approach is a breath of fresh air. The film also sits comfortably within the larger universe that Warner Bros. is creating that includes Godzilla and the assorted other Toho studios Monsters. Still, the film remains for the most part focused squarely on Kong and the adventures of our Human characters trying to survive an extremely hostile island full of nightmarish monsters. This film marks the second time Kong was brought to life courtesy of motion capture technology and they certainly give it a workout with this film, creating a very dynamic and expressive Kong that I couldn't help but cheer for. I did enjoy the film's period setting of 1973 with a group of soldiers ready to head home from Vietnam getting pulled into this side adventure first. Of course, this set up allows for the film to be infused with plenty of firepower and there is plenty of explosions and action throughout the runtime as the characters fight their way across the island. That said, I appreciated the quieter moments to the film as well, such as the way the filmmakers chose to depict the villagers that Marlowe was staying with. We don't learn much about them but they feel a bit more unique than the stock savage native stereotypes we had to varying degrees in the previous films. The only real complaint I have is in the opening scene of the movie, we see a young Marlow crash land on the island and soon after so does the Japanese pilot, Gunpei Ikari (played by Miyavi), he was in a dogfight with. They initially come to blows until Kong makes his grand entrance and then the movie cuts to 30 years later. It just slightly frustrates me because the idea of a movie about two enemies having to team up to survive on a hostile island filled with monsters is a movie I'd very much like to watch too. The movie does fill in what happened to the two of them in the intervening years, so a prequel would probably be pretty useless. 

The film is definitely stacked in the cast department, led by Tom Hiddleston as James Conrad, who basically functions as the voice of reason throughout the movie towards the other characters, the even hand in very crazy and unpredictable times and Hiddleston does good in the role, even if it is a bit underwritten. Brie Larson similarly does well with her role as Mason Weaver, who is the group photographer documenting everything they come across while also advocating for the side of sanity when things get increasingly dire and crazy. Samuel L. Jackson on the other hand gets plenty to play as Lt. Colonel Packard, who becomes increasingly unhinged and obsessed with taking out Kong as his men keep getting picked off by the islands monsters. Thomas Mann is quite endearing as the scrappy by handy Reg Slivko, who among other things lugs around a portable record player, giving the filmmakers ample opportunities for such rocking needle drops as Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Run Through the Jungle" or Black Sabbath's "Paranoid." But the actor who absolutely steals the show for me from the moment he shows up is John C. Reilly as Marlow. Even though he largely functions as the comic relief as Marlow is out of touch with current times and is more than a little loopy, Reilly still adds a touch of sadness to the character who has probably felt quite isolated for all those years on the island. It's a magnificent and entertaining performance.    

Overall, Kong: Skull Island is excellent popcorn entertainment of the highest order. It's just a huge blast of fun and never once pretends to be otherwise. Some people have complained that the human characters were written a little thin, but honestly if you bought a ticket to a Kong movie for the human characters, I don't know what to tell you. This is a movie that knows exactly what it is and succeeds at those goals with flying colors. This is easily my favorite of the Warner Bros. Monsterverse movies...so far anyway. 

King Kong (2005)

 

Coming off the daunting Lord of the Rings trilogy, director Peter Jackson finally got a crack at another dream project, a lavish remake of King Kong. The resulting film would be a film that was a reverent re-imagining of the 1933 classic, while expanding on the story in almost every way. The resulting film is a fantastic rendition of the original film, if more than a little long. 

Ann Darrow (played by Naomi Watts) is a down on her luck actress desperate for work after the theatre she was working in is shut down. Her fortunes change with a chance encounter with filmmaker Carl Denham (played by Jack Black), who just happened to be looking for a new star for his latest film when the current actress up and quit at the last minute. He convinces her to join them on a voyage he's chartered and star in the new film. Also along for the ride is the movie's screenwritier, Jack Driscoll (played by Adrien Brody) and the film's male lead, the self absorbed Bruce Baxter (played by Kyle Chandler). Also along for the ride is Denham's personal assistant, Preston (played by Colin Hanks), his cameraman, Herb (played by John Sumner), and soundman, Mike (played by Craig Hall). The crew of the ship includes Captain Englehorn (played by Thomas Kretschmann), First Mate Ben Hayes (played by Evan Parke), the ship's cook Lumpy (played by Andy Serkis) and the eager Jimmy (played by Jamie Bell). Once the ship has sailed, Denham announces their destination to be Skull Island. Lumpy warns Denham away from going there, telling him of stories he's heard of that island. Upon their arrival, they discover the island is desolate and surrounded by fog. Searching the island, they come across a village populated by savage, vicious natives and narrowly escape with their lives. They return to the ship but are followed by the natives who take Ann to offer to Kong. This time around, the offering of Ann to Kong is a grand spectacle full of chanting and fire as Kong (played by Andy Serkis) makes his grand entrance. Just like before, Kong takes Ann back into the jungle with Jack, who had bonded with Ann over the course of the voyage, and the rest of the crew follow in hot pursuit. Carl even lugs his camera and tripod along, hoping to get priceless footage of the mighty Kong. Along the way they face all the mighty horrors the island has to offer, including giant bugs, evolved prehistoric monsters and even Kong himself. Meanwhile, Ann is able to tame the mighty Kong and even bond with him during their time alone. When Denham's camera is destroyed and the footage exposed, he decides the best way to recoup his losses is to bring Kong himself back to New York City with them. 

Peter Jackson directed the film from a script he co-wrote with Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens. The film itself has a lot of reverence for the original 1933 film while also fleshing out the story, giving us more background on the main characters as well as giving more screen time to some of the crew members of the SS Venture, especially Jimmy and Ben. The film has top notch special effects, which is clear from the get go with a flawless recreation of 1930s New York City. But special notice has to go to this film's depiction of Kong, achieved through performance capture technology performed by Andy Serkis. For this first time, Kong really is a giant Gorilla and the effects are flawless as we get a Kong that is more expressive and relatable as ever. It truly is a wonder to behold. The cinematography by Andrew Lesnie is quite impressive from the bright and colorful New York City to the nightmarish Skull Island and back again. I also have to give credit to James Newton Howard for this fantastic score for the film and the way the score changes from when the film is in New York in the opening and everything seems so bright and optimistic and then slowly changes as the film goes on. 

Jackson assembled a dynamite cast for the film. Naomi Watts is quite impressive as Ann Darrow as she fleshes out the character, but also for having to spend large portions of the movie playing off a character that wasn't there and doing it all convincingly. Whether it is her initial attempts to charm and tame Kong with her Vaudeville routines or her desperate attempts to save Kong at the climax at the Empire State Building, she is fantastic. Jack Black stretches outside his usual goofball routine as the ambitious and driven Carl Denham, often to a frankly reckless degree. For the role, Black drew inspiration from Orson Welles and it really shows in the performance. As the film goes on and the various disasters that befall him and his crew, Black really shines as he shows Denham is really beginning to mentally unravel. Adrian Brody is is an uncharacteristically heroic role here and does quite well as Jack Driscoll, playing the romantic hero type. He has decent chemistry with Naomi Watts and the two play off one another quite well. He also proves quite adept at the more heroic elements of the film, swinging from vines or leading Kong on a car chase through the New York streets that turned out to be a highlight of the film for me. Kyle Chandler has an amusing supporting role as adventure movie star Bruce Baxter, who turns out to be more than a bit self absorbed as well as a bit of a coward. It's also amusing he's in this movie in hindsight because he is also in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and going to be in that movie's follow-up, Godzilla vs. Kong. 

Peter Jackson has crafted a fantastic remake of King Kong and his love for the original film shines through from beginning to end. The only complaint I could possibly muster for the film is the length. Clocking in at a staggering 3 hours and 8 minutes, there are times where it all feels like overkill. There is a scene where Kong is saving Ann from not one, not two, but three T-Rexes and the sequence just drags on and on with Kong taking all three on at once while literally juggling Ann, tossing her from one limb to the next. It all felt like a bit much. But at the same time, I appreciated that the film took it's time setting up the characters and built up Kong and Skull Island with enough anticipation that it really felt like an event when he finally shows up. It's still a damn near perfect movie and the best of the remakes, for sure. It just perhaps could have used a few trims here or there. Still, as it stands it is fantastic adventure entertainment of the highest order.        

King Kong (1976)

 

Time and History have certainly had an interesting impact on the 1976 remake of King Kong. Sandwiched in the middle between the original and the more recent Peter Jackson remake, this one is probably best remembered as the one with the World Trade Center. Still, there is a fair amount to enjoy with this reasonably faithful remake of the 1933 classic. 

Fred Wilson (played by Charles Grodin) is a executive with Petrox Oil Company who is mounting an expedition to a uncharted island recently discovered via NASA spy satellite photos that he believes house huge untapped oil reserves. Having heard about the expedition, primate paleontologist Jack Prescott (played by Jeff Bridges), sneaks aboard the vessel before it departs. Prescott tries to warn Wilson and the crew about going to the island, citing ominous reports of other explorers who had been there, including an ominous final message received that mentioned the "roar of a mighty beast." Initially detained because Wilson is convinced he's a spy from a rival company, once they confirm who he is, they allow Prescott to come onboard as the expedition's official photographer. The crew comes across a small, inflatable in the Ocean whose sole occupant is the beautiful Dwan (played by Jessica Lange), who they promptly take aboard. Since Prescott has some Medical training, he's assigned to look after her and the two quickly bond. Upon arriving at the island, they anchor offshore and take a boat launch to the coast, with Dwan coming along at her insistence. While exploring the island, the group comes across a huge wall a beyond it a secluded village who built and maintain the wall to protect themselves from their mighty god, Kong. The villagers are initially upset that they have interrupted their ceremony until they spot Dwan. Much like the original film, they offer a trade for Dwan but the offer is refused and the expedition returns to their ship. That night, the villagers sail out to the ship and kidnap Dwan and take her back to the island. In a rousing ceremony, Dwan is taken to a platform outside the large gate in the wall. Soon, the mighty Kong makes his grand entrance. Scooping up Dwan, Kong retreats back into the jungle. Prescott and several of the crew members, after discovering Dwan had been taken, follow in hot pursuit. Prescott is eventually able to rescue Dwan, who herself has tamed Kong, who himself is rather fascinated by her. Meanwhile, disappointed that the island does not have the oil reserves he was hoping for instead traps Kong to take back to New York with them with the intention of using Kong as the new Mascot for Petrox Oil. 

The film was directed by John Guillerman from a script by Lorenzo Semple, Jr. The resulting film is a fairly decent update of the 1933 original film to the then contemporary 1976. The script also feels heavily influenced by the energy crisis that was going on at the time, which explains the switch from a documentary film crew to an expedition crew to find an untapped oil reserve they can have sole control over. The film also streamlines some of the more fantastical elements of the Island, dropping the dinosaurs and just having Kong fight a giant snake. Instead, they focus on the bonding between Kong and Dwan, which adds some interesting new layers to the film that the original didn't have. I thought it was a cool touch that Kong's island is surrounded by a huge fog bank to obstruct it from being seen and only discovered by aerial photographs from a satellite that was knocked off course. It adds a certain mystery to the island that was really effective. With the improved special effects over the original film, this Kong is far more naturally emotive and sympathetic. Portrayed largely by special Makeup effects wizard Rick Baker in a not entirely convincing Ape suit and animatronic mask that he designed alongside Special Effects Wizard Carlo Rambaldi. They also crafted a 40ft tall animatronic Kong but it never looked convincing so it can only be glimpsed seconds at a time at the climax when Kong is unveiled in New York. The whole production is topped off with a fantastic score by John Barry that compliments the film wonderfully. 

The film does make some interesting changes from the characters in the original film. Jack this time around is much more of a conservationist in this film, trying to protect Kong and disgusted by how Fred Wilson wants to exploit him. Jeff Bridges does a great job with the character while also keeping the character's more heroic qualities from the original film as well. Instead of filmmaker Carl Denham in this film we have Fred Wilson, portrayed quite well by Charles Grodin. At the start of the film, he seems like a fairly reasonable guy trying to get ahead in his job and make a name for himself but as the film goes on, we see the deeper layers of Wilson and see he's a real slimeball, who just wants to exploit the island for it's resources and when that doesn't work out he has no problem doing the same to Kong. Grodin does a fantastic job in the role and handles both sides of it quite well. Jessica Lange has taken her share of criticism in the role of Dwan and while I don't mind it, it also doesn't match with an actress who would go on to win two Academy Awards either. Still, she does give a suitably warm performance as Dwan and does well playing against Kong too. She also has some decent chemistry with Jeff Bridges so their romance in this one feels a little more natural. Meanwhile, Rick Baker actually gives a good performance as Kong, acting through both the animatronic mask and a Ape suit he never was quite happy with. It still worked well for me, even if it never was completely convincing either. 

I've always had a certain affinity for this rendition of King Kong, perhaps due to it's not infrequent airings on cable T.V in my youth. It's by no means a perfect film, but it is an entertaining one that I've never felt has lived up to it's reputation of being a bad movie. It's not as good as the original film, but taken on it's own merits I think it's an entertaining film. It's also become something of a curio post 9/11 with the climactic showdown at the World Trade Center, including shots of Jack running through one of the towers trying to reach the roof to get to Dwan and Kong (who took the more scenic route to the roof, if you catch my drift). Still, it's not a perfect movie and certainly the lesser of the three King Kong films, but still one I enjoy nonetheless. 

King Kong (1933)

 

With the upcoming release of the new Godzilla vs. Kong, I thought it would be fun to revisit the past King Kong movies, starting with the classic 1933 original film. The film is a groundbreaking precursor to the sort of Blockbuster filmmaking that dominates multiplexes today. It pioneered such impressive effects work as stop motion animation, rear projections, and matte paintings to tell it's story. But does King Kong still hold up after all these years? For the most part, yes it actually does. 

Filmmaker Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong) is assembling a crew for his most ambitious project yet, a journey to an uncharted island that is said to be host to a horrifying monster known as Kong. He is amassed a crew of men to help with this expedition, set to depart on a steamer ship named the Venture. He's just missing a leading lady for his film. In a chance encounter, he meets the down on her luck Ann Darrow (played by Fay Wray). Promising the adventure of a lifetime, he convinces her to join them on their expedition. The journey to the island is largely uneventful, as Ann meets the ship's first mate Jack Driscoll (played by Bruce Cabot) and sparks begin to fly between the two. Upon their arrival on the island, they discover a village built outside a huge stone wall with two large wooden doors, securely locked with a large bolt. The villagers are engaged in a ritual for a woman designated as the "Bride of Kong". The Chief of the tribe is enraged that Denham and his crew has interrupted their ritual, but upon seeing Ann offers to trade six of his women for her to offer her up to Kong instead. Naturally Denham refuses and they leave, returning to the Venture, anchored just offshore. However, that night the villagers sneak aboard the boat and kidnap Ann. She is taken back to the island and past the large wooden gates to be tied up to two posts. Soon enough, the giant ape Kong makes his grand entrance, terrifying Ann. Of course, Kong unties her and takes her back into the jungle with him. Realizing Ann is missing, Carl, Jack and the rest of the crew leave the boat and follow in hot pursuit, setting in motion a series of events that will culminate with Kong being taken back to America and the famous final showdown atop the Empire State Building. 

As the story goes, the story of King Kong was born out of director Merian C. Cooper's lifelong fascination with Gorillas. He fashioned the original story, imagining adventurers encountering a mammoth gorilla and even imagining the climax at the Empire State Building in New York. Cooper collaborated on the final script first with James Ashmore Creelman and later Horace McCoy and Ruth Rose. For the required effects to bring Kong to life, they turned to famed stop motion animator Willis O'Brien, mixed with animatronics and puppetry of Kong's head, shoulders and chest, as well as right arm where he would be holding on to Fay Wray. The combined effects work was groundbreaking for it's time and even though they have certainly aged in the digital age, there is still something compelling about the effects work. The story itself remains timeless and thrilling as ever. However, the portrayal of certain characters such as the villagers and an Asian crewmember known as Charlie (played by Victor Wong) that have perhaps not aged as well. Of course, the film's depictions of the various prehistoric creatures the characters encounter on the island are laughably inconsistent with how they are believed to be today, especially as both a Stegosaurus and a Brontosaurus attempt at different points to devour the characters. 

Fay Wray has always been synonymous with King Kong as she established herself as one of cinema's preeminent Scream Queens and it was a well earned title as that is pretty much all she does once she meets Kong during her time on the Island. It does get a bit repetitious as the film goes on. Kong sets Ann down to do something, a dangerous creature shows up (a T. Rex, a giant snake, a Pterodactyl), Ann screams, Kong drops everything and comes fight the beast to rescue her. She is the definition of damsel in distress in this film, but in the beginning part of the film as we get to know her, Wray does give Ann a certain plucky ambition that certainly helps get the audience on her side. Robert Armstrong gives filmmaker Carl Denham as sort of reckless ambition that makes his character a bit more interesting. He just wants to travel to the island to make his documentary film, but seems curiously unconcerned with the people who get hurt in the process or even the people who get hurt or killed once Kong breaks free in New York. Bruce Cabot does reasonably well as stalwart hero Jack Driscoll, unafraid to run into the jungle alone to rescue Ann if he has to. He doesn't really have much chemistry with Fay Wray and their romance seems a bit shoehorned in by the studio (because it was). Still, it's a minor element of the film.         

Still, after all the years, the original King Kong still holds up despite the more dated aspects, as a genuinely thrilling adventure film. As I settle into the film and get used to the effects work and get used to their unique charms, I find myself getting pulled into the story. Where the incredible animation for Kong actually works and I find myself feeling genuine emotion as he fights the various Skull Island monsters, or the Bi-Planes atop the Empire State Building. It all still works as long as you allow yourself to go along with it. It's a film I still enjoy watching both to appreciate the ingenuity of the effects as well as the filmmaking itself.       

Coming 2 America

 

When I first heard they were making a sequel to Coming to America, I was both intrigued and had some trepidation. Comedy sequels are notoriously hard to pull off and far more turn out to be bad then good. I have to say that I was relieved to discover that Coming 2 America is a solidly entertaining follow-up. 

Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) has been living happily in Zamunda for the past 30 years with his wife Lisa (played by Shari Headley) and his daughters Meeka (played by Kiki Layne), Omma (played by Bella Murphy), and Tinashe (played by Akiley Love). However, his father King Jaffee (played by James Earl Jones) is ailing and informs his that according to Zamunda tradition, he must have a male heir to inherit the throne after him. It turns out that he is revealed he did indeed sire a son during his first trip to America. In an amusing bit of retconning, It turns out that on their first night in there, Semmi (played by Arsenio Hall) picked up a couple of ladies to take back to their apartment. Akeem wound up spending the night with one of the ladies, Mary (played by Leslie Jones). The reason he did not remember the encounter was they partook in some of Mary's "ceremonial herb" that night. Seeing no other choice, Akeem and Semmi travel back to America to find his son. He is quickly able to locate him thanks to their old friends in the local barbershop (once again played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall). Akeem soon finds his son, Lavelle (played by Jermaine Fowler), outside Madison Square Garden working as a ticket scalper. After an awkward reunion with Mary, soon Lavelle, Mary and Lavelle's uncle Reem (played by Tracey Morgan) are flying back to Zamunda. However, Lavelle's arrival in Zamunda raises certain tensions not only with Akeem's own family, but with General Izzi (played by Wesley Snipes), the leader of the neighboring county, Nextdori (get it?). General Izzi proposes a union between the two nations, with Izzi's daughter Bopoto (played by Teyana Taylor) marrying Lavelle, which Lavelle agrees to. However, upon meeting and getting to know the Royal Groomer Mirembe (played by Nomzamo Mbatha), he begins to regret that decision as he starts falling for her.   

The film was directed by Craig Brewer from a script by Kenya Barris, Barry Blaustein, and David Sheffield. The result is a reasonably amusing follow-up to the original film. The filmmakers do a good job re-capturing the spirit of the original film remarkably well while marking the passage of time. There are some callbacks to the more memorable parts of the original film, such as the aforementioned revisit to the barbershop in Queens or the Zamunda Royal Bathing traditions (which actually gets two callbacks!). I appreciated for this film they flipped the script a bit with very little time actually being spent in America and much of the film focusing on Akeem getting to know his son, as well as his son adapting to life in Zamunda. Plenty of humor is derived from Lavelle discovering he has to pass certain trials in order to officially become a Zamunda Prince, including retrieving a whisker from a napping lion, that has his understandably nervous. I also appreciated that they didn't have Lisa and Mary butting heads the whole movie, but rather actually bond and become friends. I also have to give a special shout-out to Ruth Carter for the absolutely gorgeous costume work in this film. While the first film had it's share of beautiful costumes, this film really turns it up to eleven. 

The film does reunites pretty much the entire cast of the original film with a few exceptions. Eddie Murphy more or less picks up where he left off with Prince Akeem, capturing the character's same warmth, while also bringing him up to date adding age and some wisdom to the character. Arsenio Hall also manages to recapture the role of Semmi quite well after all these years. And of course Murphy and Hall once again play multiple roles in the film, impressively recapturing each one from the guys in the Barbershop onward. I watched these two films more or less back to back and it really is pretty seamless, only with more gray hairs. Arsenio Hall also briefly appears as Semmi's father and is quite amusing in that role as well. It's nice to get to see how well Lisa has taken to life as a Princess since the original film ended with their wedding and Shari Headley captures her character's growth and now ease in the role quite well. She also has great chemistry with Leslie Jones as the two bond and become fast friends, being two gals from the same neighborhood. Speaking of which, Leslie Jones manages to steal every scene she's in with a hilarious performance. Then again I am a Leslie Jones fan, so one's mileage may vary. Jermaine Fowler does well as Lavelle, even as his plot begins to veer into a bit of a rehash of the original film he handles it well and has decent romantic chemistry with Nomzamo Mbatha as well. Likewise, Mbatha does well in her role as well as her burgeoning romance with Lavelle grows over the second half of the movie. Wesley Snipes has an amusing supporting role as General Izzi, doing everything but literally chewing the scenery and honestly may be one of the best parts of the movie. The film also has a few very fun cameos throughout it's runtime that I would definitely hate to spoil.

Overall, Coming 2 America is a worthy follow-up to the classic original film. The filmmakers did a good job recapturing the spirit of the original film. Is it as good as the original film? No, of course not. Sequels rarely are. But this new film is a still a lot of fun and made with a lot of care and heart. It's a lot of fun to watch, even as it rehashes certain plot points and gags. Yes, at a certain point is was clearly obvious where the movie was going but the funny this is I didn't care.

Coming to Amercia

One of Eddie Murphy's most popular and endearing comedies was without question Coming to America, which at is a surprisingly sweet and wholesome tale of a Prince looking for a woman who would love him for who he was and not his position. With plenty of good natured humor and a stellar cast, it's easy to see why this movie remains popular, eventually gaining a belated sequel, the newly released Coming 2 America. 

Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) has led a privileged and sheltered life. He has servants to help him with everything, including bathing and even brushing his teeth. Everywhere he goes in the palace he is preceded by three women covering his path with rose petals. But Akeem has grown weary of all the pampering and wishes he could just do things for himself. The final straw comes when he meets his future bride, who has been brought up to obey his every command. When he tries to get to know her, her response to every question is she likes whatever he likes. Akeem decides to take action and informs his parents, King Jaffe (played by James Earl Jones) and Queen Aoleon (played by Madge Sinclair) that he and his best friend/personal aide Semmi (played by Arsenio Hall) are going traveling. Akeem wants to find an independent woman who won't be afraid to express her own views and who will challenge him. When looking over the map of America trying to decide where to go to find an appropriate future Queen they settle on, of course, Queens, New York. After their initial dating attempts fail spectacularly, Akeem meets Lisa McDowell (played by Shari Headley) at a local fundraising rally to help the inner city. In an effort to get to know her better, he and Semmi get entry level jobs at the restaurant her father, Cleo (played by John Amos), owns. There is a wrinkle though in that Lisa is currently dating the rather self absorbed Darryl (played by Eric La Salle), who is the heir to the Soul Glo company, which sells Jheri Curl hairstyling products and who her father really likes as well. 

The film was directed by John Landis from a script by David Sheffield and Barry Blaustein based on a story by Eddie Murphy. The film does strike an interesting balance because the story itself is actually rather wholesome yet it also is an R rated comedy, with much of the humor coming from language and nudity. Still, the film works quite well with plenty of warm humor, much of it derived from seeing Akeem and Semmi trying to blend into Queens, posing a poor college students and trying to hide their affluence, much to Semmi's chagrin as he is less than thrilled with their low class accommodations. I appreciated the production design of the film as well and the way they contrasted Akeem and Semmi's homeland of Zamunda with New York. We see the palace and grounds are populated by warm colors and a lot of green but when they get to New York they are greeted by a lot of snow and grime. It just accentuates the fish out of water scenario they find themselves in that much more. I also have to show appreciation for the film's very unique and fantastic score by Niles Rodgers.

Eddie Murphy shows a different side of himself playing Prince Akeem, who he fills with a warm generosity and kindness that makes his character very endearing. It's a refreshing break from the slick, quick-witted characters he was known for playing up until this. However, he does play three other characters in the film that allow him to sillier side, showing up under varying degrees of make up as Clarence, the owner of the local barber shop, Randy Watson, a Soul singer in a band called Sexual Chocolate and Clarence, an older Jewish gentleman who frequents the aforementioned barber shop. Arsenio Hall gets to be a bit goofier as Semmi as he tries to be there to support his lifelong friend but is less enthused about Akeem's plan, perfectly comfortable with more posh life back home. It is clear that Hall is having fun with the role though. Like Murphy, he also shows up in three other roles playing a local Reverend, Morris the barber, and an Extremely Unattractive Girl that is an early romantic prospect that Akeem and Semmi meet in a bar. James Earl Jones has an amusing turn as King Jaffe, who is a slave to tradition but at the same time wants what is best for his son. Likewise, Madge Sinclair is great as Queen Aoleon, who often has to talk sense into her husband. It's no wonder that they Jones and Sinclair were cast as Mufasa and Sarabi in The Lion King six years later (and even more amusing, during one viewing a friend noticed the lion skin sash King Jaffe wears at one point and remarked, "Is he wearing Mufasa?" and I think of that every time I watch it now. John Amos makes an great counterpoint as Cleo, who is very much a self-made man with his restaurant (even though it's a running gag that he's basically copying McDonalds). He also clearly loves his daughter and wants the best for her, which is his primary motivation for pushing her to be with the more well off Daryl because he doesn't want her to struggle like he did when he was younger. Shari Headley is great as Lisa and has some genuine chemistry with Murphy, which makes their scenes together a lot of fun to watch. She gives Lisa a real strong, independent spirit that makes it clear why Akeem would fall for her. The film also features early appearances by the likes of Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson and Cuba Gooding Jr. There is also an amusing cameo by Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy, reprising their roles as Mortimer and Randolph Duke from Trading Places now two homeless men that Akeem and Lisa encounter at one point (in case you were wondering why I reviewed Trading Places first). 

Coming to America is an endearing and funny comedy that has stood the test of time, remaining just as beloved now as it was then. If anything, it's popularity has only become more apparent as time has gone by. When Black Panther was released back in 2018, several people attending opening night screenings dressed up as Zamunda royalty, which I thought was very cool (you can find pictures online). But it's easy to see why this movie endures. It is a fun romantic comedy that has a certain charm to it that is hard to resist. It's certainly been a favorite of mine over the many years.      

Trading Places

How does one begin to talk about the classic Dan Aykroyd-Eddie Murphy 1983 comedy Trading Places? In some respects, it's still a rather relevant film, considering it being frequently referenced with the very recent events with the GameStop stocks reminding people of certain plot points in this film. It's also a very well written and smart comedy looking at social classes. At the same time, there are also certain elements that, when viewed through a contemporary lens, are very problematic that some viewers may struggle with.   

Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Aykroyd) is a stuffy Upper Class Commodities Broker who works for a firm run by Randolph and Mortimer Duke (played by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche). When he crosses paths with homeless con man Billy Ray Valentine (played by Eddie Murphy) one fateful morning and mistakes Valentine for a mugger, a scuffle ensues that results in Valentine getting arrested. This incident also inspires a bet between Randolph and Mortimer. The bet is that if Winthorpe were to lose his position in society, he would turn to crime just as easily as Valentine has. Likewise, if Valentine were to be given a job in their firm and comfortable place to live, he would become just as respectable as Winthorpe. They set about to systematically dismantle Winthorpe's life, framing him as a thief and drug dealer to ensure his friends all turn their backs on him and get his accounts frozen after embezzlement charges are leveled against him as well. They also bail Valentine out of jail and set him up with a job at their firm and set him up in a nice new home, which was Winthorpe's house along with Winthorpe's butler, Coleman (played by Denholm Elliott). In a meltdown of dispair, Winthorpe finds some help from Ophelia (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), a prostitute that was hired by the Duke's stooge Clarence Beeks (played by Paul Gleason) to help set up Winthorpe. She allows him to stay in her apartment and agrees to help him get back on his feet but expects him to repay her once he is exonerated. Meanwhile, Valentine proves to be quite adept at the Commodities exchange using his well honed street smarts to correctly anticipate if the prices will go up or down. But it's only a matter of time before Winthorpe and Valentine discover the Dukes are behind their sudden change of fortune - and what they intend to do once their bet is resolved. 

The film was directed by John Landis from a script by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. The three of them do craft a very entertaining comedy of rags to riches with a counterpoint of riches to rags while crafting two interesting character arcs for both Winthrope and Valentine in the process. They do a solid job setting up the plot so that it is reasonably plausible that Winthorpe's entire social group would turn their backs on him, framing him as a thief, embezzler and heroin PCP Angel Dust dealer to ensure they all look down on him completely. Likewise, they give the Duke Brothers enough credibility that when they bring Valentine into the fold he's accepted almost immediately. Although, it helps that it turns out Valentine is a natural at Commodities and since his tips yield wealth, it would make sense why he becomes popular since he can make them wealthier in the process, which would certainly fit with the film's decidedly satirical theme. I also have to give the filmmakers credit for not dumbing down the climax of the film at the Commodities exchange and trusting that the audience with at least get the gist of what was happening (although there are videos on YouTube that helpfully explain things in greater detail for those who want further clarification). However, there are some elements to the film that maybe have not aged too well. The N-word is thrown around several times in the film, although only to show the bigotry of certain characters, but figured it was worth mentioning. There is also a sequence where Winthorpe disguises himself as a Rastafarian complete with blackface that will certainly have some viewers cringing (even though part of the joke is how bad and unconvincing of a disguise it is). I was still able to enjoy the movie despite these elements but it is definitely something where the viewers mileage may vary.  

This film has a fantastic cast and the three main stars of the film were all in a transitional point in their careers. Eddie Murphy was still in the process of transitioning from Saturday Night Live to feature films with only the film 48 Hours under his belt so far. Dan Aykroyd was similarly having to prove he could carry a film with someone else after the then recent passing of frequent comedy partner John Belushi. Jamie Lee Curtis was coming off a string of horror films that had dubbed her the "Scream Queen" and eager to move on to other types of roles, fearing she would be typecast otherwise. Eddie Murphy is great here, playing with his quick-witted personality that he would hone even further the following year as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop. Still, he does a great job capturing Valentine's arc as he goes from the quick-witted con-man at the start and sees her personality change once he's brought into the Dukes world and given a job, a nice house, and respect. Eddie captures this transition perfectly in the film when he invites a bunch of people from his old neighborhood back to his house for a party and when he sees how much they are disrespecting him and his house proceeds to kick everyone out. Dan Aykroyd similarly has a lot of fun with his role, starting out the film as the fussy and uptight Winthrop only for his character to fall from his lofty position until he completely hits rock bottom. Jamie Lee Curtis shows she was equally adept at comedy as she was with horror in this film as the intelligent and driven Ophelia who has some very unique ideas on her chosen profession. Likewise, Denholm Elliott makes the most of his supporting role as Coleman, Louis' butler, who is forced to go along with the Duke Brother's bet as apparently he is their employee rather that Louis'. He has a great moment when Louis first returns to his house and Coleman has to pretend not to know him. It's such a small moment, Elliott really conveys the regret he feels having to do that.   

Overall, despite the film's more problematic elements, Trading Places has remained a comedy classic since it first premiered and remained a cultural touchstone all these years later. It has even inspired rules to be implemented on Wall Street to prevent certain events in the film from playing out in real life (see: The Eddie Murphy Rule). If you ask me, that's a pretty cool distinction.