History Film / ComingToAmerica

* BrickJoke: Not even seconds when Akeem and Semmi enter the tenenment, nearby looters steal Akeem's luggage. Later on, one of them is offering Akeem jewelry that's clearly his. True to his character, Akeem doesn't seem to notice or even care about the jewelry.

* GutturalGrowler: Reverend Brown has a very coarse voice.

* BlatantLies: The taxi cab driver who brings Akeem and Semmi from JFK Airport to Queens isn't fooled by Akeem's claim that they are ordinary African college students since the two of them are wearing expensive furs, jewelry, and have several crates of luggage.

** On the other hand, there are some hints in the film - such as Zamunda using the pound as its currency, Akeem and Lisa's wedding ceremony being a Christian one (which would imply that the Royal Family and hence most of the country was Christian; this isn't impossible, as Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi all traditionally have Catholic monarchies), Zamundan police and soldiers wearing British-style uniforms, the mentioned popularity of soccer - that suggest that Zamunda was influenced by British rule. It may very well have been a British protectorate at one point, like Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland and Uganda, for example. Lesotho and Swaziland are also two of the three remaining monarchies in Africa (Morocco is the third).

-->'''Akeem''':Oh sir, the Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory.

* BareYourMidriff: Akeem's intended wife Imani bares her midriff towards the beginning of the movie as well as Patrice when she enters Semmi's apartment in the climax.

In 2019, Eddie Murphy confirmed that a [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.upi.com/amp/Eddie-Murphy-confirms-Coming-to-America-sequel/6341547297162/ sequel]] is in the works (titled ''Film/Coming2America''), which was released to Creator/AmazonPrime on March 5, 2021.

* {{Bowdlerise}}d: This film has been shown on TV on channels such as Creator/ComedyCentral and ''Creator/ABCFamily''.

* {{Jerkass}}: Darryl Jenks - an arrogant, self-absorbed, and not slightly misogynistic SpoiledBrat who thinks money can buy anything.

-->'''Patrice:''' Why are you hugging [Akeem]? He's just the servant. ''(points)'' [Semmi]'s the prince!\\

Akeem and Semmi pose as [[KingIncognito poor African college students]] while they conduct their search, but [[FunnyForeigner being naive to the way America works]] they can only attract women with serious emotional problems. Akeem is almost ready to give up until, one night, he attends a rally where he lays eyes on [[PluckyGirl Lisa McDowell]]. She is his dream in every way and Akeem is convinced that he has found his future Queen, but there's only one problem: [[HilarityEnsues she's already taken...]]

* ChalkOutline: "[[NoodleIncident Damn shame what they did to that dog.]]"

-->'''Cleo:''' Look... me and the [=McDonald=]'s people got this little misunderstanding. See, they're [=McDonald=]'s... I'm [=McDowell's=]. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds.

* IdiotBall: Did Darryl seriously not consider that setting up his "engagement" to Lisa ''behind her back'' might irk her just a ''tiny'' bit?
** Apparently not; his beliefs about women are exposed before said "engagement" in a conversation with Akeem:
-->'''Akeem''': Where I'm from, we have to be very aggressive.
-->'''Darryl''': I'm all for that. Especially with women. You know, they may not admit it, but they want a man to take charge. Tell them what to do. ''(Cue the "engagement" scene)''
** On this evidence, Imani - a bride who says yes to ''all'' kinds of orders - would probably be a better match for Darryl.

* GoldDigger: Lisa's sister Patrice when she thinks Semmi is a prince. [[PairingTheSpares She later latches onto Darryl]].

* DerailingLoveInterests: Handled realistically with Darryl. He's always nice to Lisa and her family and doesn't cheat on her. That never changes, but the dismissive and rude way he treats everyone else he deems beneath him says much more about his true character. During the dinner party scene, Darryl makes it clear that while he does love Lisa, he is also a sexist who believes that women want to be told what to do. His lie to her father about her accepting his proposal probably didn't help either (he hadn't even actually proposed yet).

** And Darryl, when he realizes Lisa's sister is trying to have sex with him.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Downplayed. Darryl isn't really a villain so much as a big {{Jerkass}}, but he looks down on women and people from Africa.

* HollywoodToneDeaf:
** Randy Watson.
** Akeem when he sings "To Be Loved" loudly and off-key after his first date with Lisa.

* ArrangedMarriage: Akeem is given a bride as a 21st birthday present.

* SpoiledSweet: A very rare male example with Akeem, who as the Crown Prince of Zamunda is ''absurdly'' spoiled. Gorgeous topless women bathe him. He does not even have to wipe his own butt after pooping. And yet somehow he's as nice as he could possibly be.
* StateVisit: King Jaffe Joffer comes to New York City to look for Akeem]]. True to this trope, King Jaffe is accompanied by much fanfare, and even travels around in a heavily guarded convoy complete with limousine.

* SpitTake: Semmi does one after being hit on in a bar by a CreepyCrossdresser... that wasn't supposed to be a crossdresser. "She" was played by Arsenio Hall, [[TalkingToHimself hitting on himself]].

* TheScream: When Semmi opens the door to apartment 1A, revealing the King and entourage.