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[tab title="Movie Review"]
The Golden Child is the only movie (yet) in which the multi-talented Eddie Murphy furiously stabs a demon in the heart so justly that it absolutely EXPLODES with a cinematically unmatched righteousness. Earlier, he placed a kiss on its cheek. Get ready for the WILD and the WEIRD as The Golden Child finally comes home!
The Golden Child, considering that its primary star, a young Eddie Murphy (25 at the time of this movie’s release) had a string of hits which included Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Trading Places, and 48 Hrs, should have been a money-making slam dunk. It even had Micheal Richie (The Bad News Bears, Fletch) at its helm, but for most critics (and some viewers) the melding of fantasy and comedy just didn’t gel together in a way that made Chandler Jarrell’s journey to find the missing Golden Child anything but regrettable.
Fortunately, time has been kind to The Golden Child and Murphy - as well as his co-stars Charlotte Lewis and Charles Dance - come out looking like musclebound champs to the nearsighted chumps who originally dismissed this fun and fright-filled fantasy outright. It’s too mature for kids and too immature for adults! Those were some of its criticisms I recall hearing as an expert detective in finding missing children embarks on a journey to defeat an evil wizard named Sardo Numspa (Dunce) and his crazy looking henchmen. 
With only the mysterious karate monk Kee Nang (Lewis) by his side, Jarrell agrees to search for the Golden Child and, quipping here and there, travels to Tibet to find a mystical dagger before Numspa gets his hands on it with which to do the Golden Child harm. And that’s when the real crazy shit happens. There is a snake lady, a magical parakeet, and a whole lot of awkward fight scenes. Along with the choppy editing and the suspect script, most were thumbing their noses at this crazy adventure and, yes The Golden Child is a deeply flawed flick . . . yet nothing takes away from the sheer FUN of this nutty romp through Murphy’s stand-up routine as seen through the lens of a fantasy flick.
And, yes, it is way too dark for kids. Such is the fate for most PG-13 flicks released when I was growing up. What couldn’t be agreed upon here was the middle ground and most critics just threw up their hands and flushed this film immediately . . . but, if you grew up with this flick (even if you did see it at too early of an age), I’ve got good news with Paramount’s latest handling of this title.
The Golden Child is as wickedly bonkers as it ever was and, truthfully, cult enthusiasts are in for a treat with this newly remastered in 4K release from Paramount.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Details"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Paramount
Available on Blu-ray - December 1, 2020
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 2.0; German: Dolby Digital 2.0; Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Newly remastered from a 4K film transfer, director Michael Ritchie’s hit action-comedy comes to Blu-ray for the first time. Eddie Murphy is “the Chosen One,” a social worker on a madcap mission to find “the Golden Child,” a young boy possessing mystical powers. Joined by Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis), they’ll battle the countless henchmen of Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance), the mysterious and evil cult leader holding the boy captive. It’s a dangerous quest, complete with obstacle courses and a mythical amulet, sharply combining Murphy’s wit with eye-popping special effects for an unforgettable adventure.
Video:
This brand-new HD release of The Golden Child sports a brand-new restoration by Paramount from a 4K scan of the original negative. At least, that’s what they claim, but I have my doubts. Fans of Trading Places know what a Murphy-led restoration looks like. This one is pretty pathetic. Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio utilizing the AVC codec, the images are sometimes crisp. But it is in select scenes only. And don’t even get me started on the rather weak black levels. There are some scenes - especially on the city basketball courts and then the mountains of Tibet – which absolutely POP. Colors are bold, bright, and shadows are thick with lines and deep blacks. The night scenes – and there are a lot of them – are awash with iffy edges. This release is a bit of disappointment when it comes to the remastering. I wonder what went wrong.
Sound:
There is a robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix which absolutely explodes with dynamic-sounding beats.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
This is the 11th title in the Paramount Presents line of releases. It comes slipcovered and has a NEW featurette concerning the making of the movie and other supplemental items.
- The Making of The Golden Child
- The Chosen Ones
- Daggers, Design and Demons
- Theatrical Trailer
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 94 mins
Director: Michael Ritchie
Writer: Dennis Feldman
Cast: Eddie Murphy, J.L. Reate, Charles Dance
Genre: Comedy | Action
Tagline: Eddie Murphy Is The Chosen One.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Hey Bird - Did you just see a little Hare-Krishna midget in the tree, floatin'?... Or is it me?"
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount
Official Site:
Release Date: December 12, 1986
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 1, 2020.
Synopsis: After a Tibetan boy, the mystical Golden Child (J.L. Reate), is kidnapped by the evil Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance), humankind's fate hangs in the balance. On the other side of the world in Los Angeles, the priestess Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis) seeks the Chosen One, who will save the boy from death. When Nang sees social worker Chandler Jarrell (Eddie Murphy) on television discussing his ability to find missing children, she solicits his expertise, despite his skepticism over being "chosen."
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[tab title="Art"]
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