The eighties were a white-hot time for Eddie Murphy who had broken out of Saturday Night Live to become one of the most bankable stars in the business. Nestled between early decade breakouts such as Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop and the phenomenon that was Coming to America, there is a title that is often labeled as the odd creative miss from this decade. The Golden Child is an oddity no matter how you look at it; this was Murphy’s first foray into the realm of the fantastical, and it was also the first time he deviated from his standard R-rating in favor of a more audience-friendly PG-13. The results were not a complete disaster financially – it comfortably made its money back – but the response was more muted than everyone had become accustomed to for Murphy. As we are just shy of the 35th anniversary of this polarizing film and Paramount has finally deemed it worthy of a Blu-Ray release, we take a look and see if the ambivalence towards this film is warranted.
The titular “Golden Child” is a mysterious young boy in a remote Tibetan temple who is capable of carrying out some truly astonishing miracles that have to be seen to be believed. When you have anyone with this type of power, there is also bound to be people mobilizing to control it or eliminate it. The group in opposition to this child is led by the devious Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), who leads a deadly raid on the temple that leaves countless slaughtered monks and the miracle child abducted. Halfway around the world in Los Angeles we meet social worker Chandler Jarrell (Eddie Murphy), a caring, unyielding man who seeks to protect the safety of children with everything in his power. Jarrell actually happens to have more power that he even knows, as he is told when the tantalizing Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis) shows up to reveal his destiny as “the Chosen One” who will save “the Golden Child.” While this news sounds patently ridiculous to Jarrell, evidence starts to pile up that she may not be entirely off her rocker.
Chandler Jarrell was considered a very atypical role for Murphy at this point in his career. Murphy was known for being loud and brash and unrepentantly shocking with his off-color humor. Jarrell, on the other hand, exhibited traces of these attributes while mostly remaining way more reserved than normal. This allowed Murphy to showcase a softer, sweeter side than audiences had seen, but it did not help in the comedy department. There are a few solid laughs in The Golden Child, but the film is extremely plot-driven in a way that stifles the natural charisma of Murphy. This might not be such an issue if the plot was compelling, but it really lacks momentum in that department, as well. There are so many elements that are introduced and shoved into the lore that it starts to become more than a bit convoluted. The basic elements are in place for the film to be good, but the script does not give anyone much to latch onto. Charles Dance is a really great villain, but inconsistent writing holds him back from being truly menacing.
There are moments in this film that scream to be seen by a certain type of fan, but morbid curiosity might not be enough of a driving force for most viewers. As mentioned, this was the first time that Murphy delved more in the realm of fantasy, and it is understandable if this experience soured him on the genre for a little while. When you sit down for a Eddie Murphy film, you do not exactly expect to see a half-snake lady or full-on shape-shifting demons, but there the movie is getting more and more outlandish. I would argue that some of these elements could have been sort of cool, but some extremely rocky visual effects just makes everything laughable. The film is not a complete disaster, which we have seen on occasion from Murphy, but there are numerous script issues and technical choices that leave a lot to be desired. This film will never be known as top-tier Eddie Murphy, but it does deserve some recognition for inspiring Murphy to have a greater hand in writing many of his future films – many of which ARE extremely entertaining.
Video Quality
The Golden Child makes its long-awaited Blu-Ray debut with a pleasing 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K remaster supervised by director Michael Ritchie. This presentation is a knockout that preserves the filmic look with proper film grain and texture throughout. There are a lot of bold colors in the film that pop off the screen with an immaculate vibrancy. Skin tones are natural and lend themselves to showcasing an amazing amount of detail. The level of clarity and detail on this release is very impressive, with only the occasional shot that looks a bit on the soft side. There are very subtle details in the lush production design that are visible here for the first time from minute details on outfits to some of the production design on display in the temples. The black levels are extremely deep and allow for true detail to come through well. Paramount has done an excellent job of restoring this, as all print damage has been cleaned up without messing with the natural look of the film. Those who have been waiting for this one to be given the high definition treatment on Blu-Ray should be thrilled by the results
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that sonically represents the film quite wonderfully. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with the synth-based score from Michel Colombier filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The grandiose dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some occasional activity with ambient sounds, but it is not a standout in that regard. There is a substantial amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it, as well. This track accomplishes everything it needs to do with great ease.
Special Features
- The Making of The Golden Child
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- The Chosen Ones: A seven-minute vintage featurette in which the cast and crew take a closer look at the script, characters, performances and more.
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- Daggers, Design & Demons: The second half of this featurette runs seven minute and takes the viewer on a journey through the technical details including the production design, costumes, stunt work, special effects and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer that is in fairly rough shape but does a good job of selling the film.
Final Thoughts
The new release of Paramount Presents The Golden Child brings a notable title from Eddie Murphy to Blu-Ray for the first time. The film itself may not be a top-tier effort, but there are some elements that Murphy fans may want to check out if they have never caught this one. The Blu-Ray itself is quite wonderful with a stellar A/V presentation and a couple of special features. If you are already a fan of the film, you will be very pleased by this release.
Paramount Presents The Golden Child is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
