4K Ultra HD Review: Coming to America (Steelbook)

By John Corrado

With a sequel forthcoming, Paramount is releasing the 1988 Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall comedy Coming to America for the first time on 4K Ultra HD today. There are two editions of the film available, including a regular edition and a collectible Steelbook, which is the cooler of the two.

Directed by John Landis, the film follows Prince Akeem (Murphy), who hails from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, as he travels to Queens, New York with his loyal friend and servant (Hall) to find his own bride. Unhappy with the one that his parents (James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair) have chosen for him, the prince poses as an impoverished immigrant to find a regular woman to marry. It’s a good deal of fun to watch, and delivers a number of laughs, with Murphy and Hall donning makeup to play several other characters as well.

The Steelbook packaging looks great, with graffiti-style cover art that fits the film quite well, including an image of a spray-painted crown on the back. The package also comes with a bonus Randy Watson World Tour mini poster, which is a cool collector’s item for fans. It’s worth noting that the sequel was supposed to open this month, but has been pushed to next year due to the pandemic. For more on the film itself, you can read my review of the 30th anniversary Blu-ray edition that came out two years ago right here.

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K disc has a number of previously released bonus features, which are identical to what was included on the 30th anniversary Blu-ray. A digital copy code is also included in the package.

• Prince-ipal Photography: The Coming Together of America (24 minutes, 39 seconds)

• Fit For Akeem: The Costumes of Coming to America (18 minutes, 5 seconds)

• Character Building: The Many Faces of Rick Baker (12 minutes, 55 seconds)

• Composing America: The Musical Talents of Nile Rodgers (11 minutes, 9 seconds)

• A Vintage Sit-Down With Eddie and Arsenio (5 minutes, 38 seconds)

• Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes, 46 seconds)

• Photo Gallery

Coming to America (Steelbook) is a Paramount Home Entertainment release. It’s 116 minutes and rated 14A.

Street Date: December 1st, 2020