The Golden Child (1986)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

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:

Rescue | Oracle | Fish Out Of Water | Opposites Attract | Culture Clash

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

Colour:

Colour (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 Carpenter was offered the job as director.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chandler is following the bird through the streets of Katmandu, we see a shot of the bird alighted on a sign with some English writing on it. The bird then flies down an alleyway into a small courtyard with some shops. When Chandler follows the bird into the courtyard, we can see the same sign that the bird was supposedly sitting on before it flew down the alley.

Quotes:

Chandler Jarrell: So, I gotta go to Tibet, because I'm the Chosen One. Why can't anybody choose me to go to the Bahamas?

Movie Connections:

References "Finder of Lost Loves" (1984)

Soundtrack:

BODY TALK

People should really lighten up and just ENJOY this movie.

Why hardly anybody seems to appreciate this film anymore is without doubt one of the greatest mysteries of our time. I'm truly perplexed. Roger Ebert seems to be the only critic to at least half-realise how truly funny, entertaining and brilliant a film THE GOLDEN CHILD really is.

Without doubt it's one of Eddie Murphy's finer films; it's impossible to not have a good time while watching this movie... his one-liners keep coming thick and fast, and if you can't find humour and fun in this movie, then surely your heart is made of stone. Visually, its cinematography is executed very well, the special effects are fantastic (except in one poorly executed shot where Charles Dance turns into a rat) and the theme tune has a strange kind of catchiness to it.

Don't be prejudiced against this movie, just because everybody else is. People are so easily swayed by popular opinion these days that true cinematic gems like THE GOLDEN CHILD are forgotten. Four stars out of four. Long live 80s movies!