The Golden Child
Starring: Eddie Murphy, J.L. Reate, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong, Randall 'Tex' Cobb, James Hong
Directed by: Michael Ritchie
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A searcher of missing children (Eddie Murphy) is pulled into a bizarre plot when he's asked to save a special child (J.L. Reate) destined to save the world.

Review:

Tim: You know, I enjoy The Golden Child. It might get a bag rap these days and you could call it very cheesy, but I think it's a fun, entertaining, very different movie. The film certainly has its flaws, but in the end, I think it's a solid movie and one I always enjoy watching.

I just love the setup- Eddie Murphy has to save a little kid who is destined to save the world. To do this, he must battle powerful forces of darkness and evil. And yet, Murphy is really playing himself- the wisecracking, fun-loving guy that made him such a star. It's such a weird situation- a modern, urban guy being confronted with all this crazy, supernatural insanity. It makes for a very fun film and it gives the movie a very different flavor than Murphy's typical movies.

One of the best aspects of the film is Murphy's reaction to the craziness all around him. He makes very funny wisecracks throughout the film and it's fun to see him confronted with all these outlandish claims. He reacts with doubt and incredulity and I enjoyed that part of the film. Murphy did a really good job of playing the role and making it seem believable. We're exposed to some really bizarre things in this film- odd monkeymen monsters, demons, dreams that actually take place in some version of reality, a snake woman, and much, much more. If you think about it all, it just seems so ridiculous. And yet, Murphy is our proxy here, reacting how we might react. That allows the whole thing to be grounded in more believability than it otherwise might have.

Murphy is definitely the star of the film and is the biggest reason why it succeeds. However, he has a lot of help. Charles Dance is such an incredible villain- from his looks to his demeanor to that voice- he's perfect in this role. He never overacts- his calm, restrained demeanor is chilling, even in a pretty silly movie like this. J.L. Reate does a very good job, and I'm still shocked that she is a girl (she played a boy very convincingly). Charlotte Lewis doesn't have much acting talent, yet she still finds ways to add to the film. I always love seeing Victor Wong here, and he was very funny in a number of scenes. As a whole, the cast is quite good.

The special effects in this film will appear dated today, but are still somewhat impressive for the time period. There are a few chilling scenes and none of the special effects were so bad that it ruined the viewing experience for me. All in all, the special effects work well enough.

I admit that The Golden Child does have some flaws. There are too many scenes that just drag on. There were a few moments when I just wanted to see some more progression in the story. Murphy is looking for this kidnapped kid, and it just goes on and on and on. I wanted more movement. For a film that's only 94 minutes, it does feel a lot longer. The end of the film is a little too much- the flying demon thing wasn't overly exciting and the finale was a little anticlimactic. I suppose all the silliness in the story does eventually weigh a little on you, too.

Still, despite its flaws, I enjoy this crazy, different movie. The Golden Child might not be among the best films of the year, but it's definitely watchable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Big Trouble in Little China, Beverly Hills Cop