Should it have been brought back after 35 years if this is the best they could do? No... with a small caveat.
It was great to see many of the characters revisited - the barbershop guys, the Zamunda royal staff, Randy Watson and the Reverend - and there was some nice nods to the first film that genuinely worked. Sadly the material here isn't as memorable as the first.
But two major flaws - it felt a bit like SNL do an extended Zamunda sketch with Eddie guest-starring...
Eddie himself was the worst actor in the film. His Akeem just didn't sit right - overacting one minute, lifeless the next. Like Eddie in real life now.
Credit where it is due. As a Prince fan, I loved the use of Gett Off. And I thought the original film had a weak last 15 minutes... This is probably at its strongest in the last 10 minutes. And seeing Wesley Snipes back on screen was nice.
But we didn't need this sequel. And if we were going to be given it, it should have been much stronger. At least as funny as the first (which is an overrated but classic 80s comedy.)
Here's how to summarise... I've seen the original many times. I'm sure I will not watch this one again from start to finish... Dip in, dip out but not a full rewatch. That's a shame.
6.75/10
