Coming 2 America Rated PG-13 (Original Movie Was An R)

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Coming 2 America Rated PG-13 (Original Movie Was An R)

Eddie Murphy's long-awaited comedy sequel Coming 2 America gets a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, so it won't be as edgy as the R-rated original.

Coming 2 America is rated PG-13 after the original film was rated R. Already a superstar thanks to hits like 48 Hrs., Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy extended his huge run of ‘80s success with Coming to America, a fish out of water tale that went on to gross $128 million.

Starring Murphy as an African prince who disguises himself as a commoner in order to win an American bride, the movie was another in a line of films that showcased not only Murphy’s charisma but his skill as an impressionist, as it saw him playing a number of different characters. Now, over 30 years after the original movie made audiences laugh, Coming to America is getting a sequel that sees Murphy and all his hilarious characters returning. In Coming 2 America, Murphy’s Prince Akeem is about to become king of Zamuda when he learns that he has a long-lost son back in the United States. Due to a male heir problem, Akeem and his faithful aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) must return to America to track down the missing son, leading to more hilarious culture clash comedy.

Though Coming 2 America looks set to bring back a lot of the elements that made the original film a comedy classic, there will be one big change for the sequel. Where the original movie carried an R rating for its sex and language, the sequel will go a more mild route, carrying a PG-13 rating (via ComicBook.com). The MPAA's PG-13 rating is for “crude and sexual content, language and drug content."

Murphy of course originally made his name as a very edgy comedian, with stand-up shows full of cursing (much to the chagrin of Bill Cosby), and carried that decidedly adult persona over to his hit movies. But later on Murphy softened his edges on-screen, toning things down considerably for movies like The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle and Shrek. Indeed, many fans of the old, edgy Murphy remain disdainful of the actor’s family-friendly turn, believing he became rich and complacent and lost touch with what made him funny in the first place. This is why so many fans were thrilled when the foul-mouthed Murphy of old returned in 2019's Rudy Ray Moore biopic Dolemite is My Name.

Fans who were hoping Murphy would follow up Dolemite is My Name with another full-on old school R-rated comedy may be disappointed to learn that Coming 2 America will keep things relatively tame with its PG-13 rating (a rating that guarantees the film will feature no more than one f-bomb). But then again, the original Coming to America was arguably a little too coarse anyway, so maybe it’s a positive move to dial things back a little. Even with the language and sex toned down, Coming 2 America still has a lot going for it, including the return of some truly hilarious (a potentially problematic) Murphy characters like Randy Watson, Mr. Clarence and Saul.