Daily News du lieu suivant : New York, New York • 31

NEW YORK'S BEST ENTERTAtNMENnNSECTlONf ITPI I I 5 Za EDDIE Murphy nnrrvn 1 Eddie Murphy's dream film is all Hollywood. And funny. al majestic force by the wonderful James Earl Jones, stages a spectacular engagement party complete with a Hollywood-style native dance production number to introduce Akeem to his future bride, a gorgeous creature who has been trained to obey his every wish. -o" I I 5 i i I i 1 I t- I -I I i i Vs won Shari Headiey ana Arsenio Hall, below. By KATHLEEN CARROLL Daily News Movie Critic COMING TO AMERICA.

Eodie Murphy, Arsenio Hail. Directed by Jonn Landis. At area theaters. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes. Rated R.

NCE UPON A TIME IN the magical kingdom of Hollywood, there lived a merry young court jester named Eddie Murphy. He became such a big box office draw that the Hollywood kingmakers considered him a prince among comics. One day, in his not-so-humble studio bungalow, the self-proclaimed leader of "the black pack" told the current ruler of Paramount Pictures his latest story idea. He explained that he wanted to play a handsome African prince who, after 21 years of contact with such devoted slaves as the scrub team of nubile women who take care of his bathing needs, decides he wants a wife who'll talk back to him. JUST WHERE DOES HE go to find this outspoken commoner? Why, to Queens, New York, of course.

Well, the king of Paramount could hardly say no to Prince Eddie, for every movie he touches seems to turn to gold at the box office. So he wisely agreed to the prince's wishes and no doubt he will laugh all the way to the bank. For "Coming to America," the dream project of the clown prince of Hollywood, is an adorably amusing upscale fairy tale, an endearingly romantic comedy which has all the fabulous fake opulence of an old-fashioned Hollywood musical as well as the traditionally sappy happy ending. The movie gets off to a delightful start, introducing Murphy as the overly coddled Prince Akeem, the happy-go-lucky heir to the throne of the mythical kingdom of Za-munda. His "concerned dad," the King, played with his usu UT AKEEM WANTS to play the dating game.

So he and his official pal Semmi (Arsenio Hall) jet to New York with "the royal baggage" and, at Akeem's command, move into a rat-infested hellhole in Queens. Akeem, an aggressively jolly sort of fellow whom Murphy plays with regal calm, a snooty upper-class accent and a winning smile, is just thrilled to be surrounded by hostile "real Americans" who never delete the expletives from their conversations. He especially likes the old-timers down at the corner barber shop (you will be surprised to learn just who is playing the grizzled barbers and their Jewish customer). Akeem spots his future princess at a "Black Awareness" fund-raiser. She's the enchanting Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), the daughter of the money-conscious owner of an imitation McDonald's restaurant where they serve "Big Mies" instead of "Big Macs." (John Amos is especially comical in the role when he becomes aware that his daughter has nabbed a real live prince.) Akeem, who does not even know how a mop works, cheerfully takes a lowly job as the garbage collector at McDowell's, where he tries to chat up Lisa.

She, to his cha-See MURPHY Page 34 WPV a VL. WILLIAM NORWICH LANDERS I i.