Coming to America

An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.

Critics in 1988 were sharply split: some found it a charming, old-fashioned romantic fairy tale elevated by Murphy and Arsenio Hall's comic range, while others felt the screenplay was undercooked and Murphy was coasting well below his usual energy. The film's reputation has grown substantially over the decades, and the gap between its lukewarm initial notices and its later status as a beloved crowd-pleaser is itself part of the story.