Paramount has a long history with some iconic films in their vast library. Now they are digging into that library and offering up a new selection of releases in their Paramount Presents collection. The latest getting the treatment is the 1986 Michael Ritchie directed film The Golden Child starring Eddie Murphy, Charlotte Lewis, and Charles Dance. Could Murphy’s first foray into fantasy work or will not be worth its weight in gold?

 

The Golden Child follows a detective with a speciality of finding lost children. He is told he is the 'Chosen one' who will find and protect the Golden Child, a Bhuddist mystic who was kidnapped by an evil sorcerer. Murphy disbelieves the mysticism but finds more and more evidence of demon worship as he investigates. I don’t think I had ever saw this movie all the way through and if I had it’s been since the late 80s to early 90s since I had so I remembered very little. This made it all the more fun to dive in fresh and new.

 

This is one of those films that while I enjoyed it for what it was is very dated, but not just the obvious music and look. The special effects are pretty cheesy and bad at times, but also part of its charm now. Murphy is in his usual form here bringing some laughs while holding his own with the action/adventure aspect. I will say he feels a bit out of play with all the fantasy elements even now after doing so many things. I think its jus the film itself just struggles to find itself in what it wants to be and what it ended up being.

 

Despite its flaws, I still had fun watching old school Eddie Murphy do his thing in a different kind of movie. I know people who love this film and can see its appeal even with the cheese of it all. Knowing some of the back story and varying story and cast changes it went through it would have been interesting to see the other visions, but thanks to Murphy it stands on its own as its own thing that fans will no doubt want to add to their classic collection.

 

This new release not only features the film, but also bonus content including theatrical trailer and featurettes that takes you behind bringing this fantasy film to life. Grab your copy of the Paramount Presents: The Golden Child available now on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment.