Downtime last night meant flopping on the couch to watch the recently released "Coming 2 America." (I'm not even sure 'released' is the right word in these blurry days when streaming has become king.)
I have fond formative memories of the original movie from 1988, its fairy-tale adjacent story injecting new life into old formulas -- based largely on the shapeshifting talents of peak Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. While the sequel had its moments (revolving around in-jokes linking the two films), my overall impression was of a movie trying too hard to black-out its bingo card with cameos.
Nostalgia is a two-edged sword if ever there was one, luring us back to the promise of experiences from our past while so often leaving us at least a little disappointed with how they've -- and we've -- aged. (Omnipresent cinematic de-aging technology not withstanding!) Yet I can still cling with desperation to a small ring of delight from older me writing this paragraph, of which younger me never could have conceived. In that way, we are always writing and rewriting, slicing and re-slicing, our own sequels.
Weird concept - but very true - and I love the way you put it: "slicing and re-slicing, our own sequels." It's interesting to hear your take because when I was flipping through Prime, I found myself double- and triple-checking that it was a new movie - I couldn't quite tell due to the "omnipresent cinematic de-aging tech" :). Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a small world? My husband and I plopped on the couch last night to watch Coming to America II as well. When you wrote, "My overall impression was of a movie trying too hard to black-out its bingo card with cameos" I smiled big time. I love how you brought the review back to the work we do in this #SOL community. "In that way, we are always writing and rewriting, slicing and re-slicing, our own sequels." Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIn the seventies, we lived in Delhi, there was a Karnataka (my state) organization which showed many Kannada movies in one week. We saw most of them and loved them. But when I see them now, it is so different. Maybe when we are young life and how we look at life is different.
ReplyDeleteNostalgia is a two-edged sword if ever there was one, luring us back to the promise of experiences from our past while so often leaving us at least a little disappointed with how they've -- and we've -- aged.
ReplyDeleteYou put so eloquently something I've long thought. =)
I have not dared yet to watch this movie. I liked the original so much and I don't want to be disappointed by this one. I know I will watch it eventually, but I am sure I will also feel that it fell far short of the mark.
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