The Golden Child (1986)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Dennis Feldman (written by)

Release Date:

12 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

Eddie Murphy Is The Chosen One

Plot:

A private detective specializing in missing children is charged with the task of finding a special child that dark forces want to eliminate.

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Detective | Chosen One | Mysticism | Mystic

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

J.L. Reate	...	The Golden Child
Eddie Murphy	...	Chandler Jarrell
Charles Dance	...	Sardo Numspa
Charlotte Lewis	...	Kee Nang
Victor Wong	...	The Old Man
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Til
James Hong	...	Doctor Hong
Shakti	...	Kala
Tau Logo	...	Yu
Tiger Chung Lee	...	Khan
Pons Maar	...	Fu
Peter Kwong	...	Tommy Tong
Wally Taylor	...	Detective Boggs
Eric Douglas	...	Yellow Dragon
Charles Levin	...	TV Host

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:14 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Ireland:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Eddie Murphy Productions

Trivia:

John Barry was originally hired to compose the score, but backed out of the project during production. Although Michel Colombier completed the score, a few cues by Barry remain in the film, and one, "Wisdom of the Ages" was released on the soundtrack LP.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kee Nang is "dead" and can be revived only as long as sunlight shines on her body, she is covered in a cheesecloth-like shroud. However, when The Golden Child lifts her foot into the sunlight, her foot is bare - even though there is no evidence that anyone unwrapped the shroud around her foot.

Quotes:

Chandler Jarrell: Tell me about the Golden Child.
Kala: Every thousand generations, a perfect child is born, a Golden Child. He has come to rescue us.
Chandler Jarrell: Rescue us from what?
Kala: From ourselves.
Chandler Jarrell: Ah.
Kala: He is the bringer of compassion. If he dies, compassion will die with him.
Chandler Jarrell: So, if something happens to the kid, the whole world goes to hell?
Kala: The world will become hell.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '80s Strikes Back" (2003)

Soundtrack:

BODY TALK

Goofy, but fun comedy/adventure

"The Golden Child" was Eddie Murphy's first film since his megahit "Beverly Hills Cop". And even though it's not as good as "Cop", it's a fun comic adventure. Murphy stars as a finder of lost children who's assigned a most unusual case. His assignment: to find the title character, a child with mystical powers. This movie could have been titled "Beverly Hills Cop and the Temple of Doom" since parts of this movie plays like a Spielbergian adventure, kinda like an Indiana Jones comedy. It's got comedy with laughs, and adventure with special effects. Lots of fun.

*** (out of four)