The Golden Child (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

The Golden Child (Blu-ray) review

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: December 1, 2020
Rating: PG
Film: 2.5/5
 
Plot
Eddie Murphy is “the Chosen One,” a social worker on a madcap mission to find “the Golden Child,” a young boy possessing mystical powers. Joined by Kee Nang (Charolette Lewis), they’ll battle the countless henchmen of Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance), the mysterious and evil cult leader holding the boy captive. It’s a dangerous quest, complete with obstacle-courses and a mythical amulet, sharply combining Murphy’s wit with eye-popping special effects for an unforgettable adventure.
 
My Thoughts
Eddie Murphy was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood in the 1980s with a trio of box office successes under his belt before making The Golden Child. According to Murphy, he initially turned down the role but ultimately the producers threw so much money his way he begrudgingly agreed to do it (he talks about this during his stand-up routine in Raw). The movie was skewered by critics, I have to give Murphy credit for trying to do something different with the character instead of rehashing his Axel Foley persona onto a different project.
 
It's been 34 years since I’d seen this film and it really hasn’t aged well. It’s a bit campy and the script tries to do too many things in its short 90-minute runtime. Is it an adventure film, feel good love story, or action comedy? Who knows—there are smatterings of all three types of films thrown in here and it seems like the creators were seeing what would stick? Murphy is one of my favorite performers and he does his best with what he’s given here, but this will go down as one of his worst films of his career—thankfully, there aren’t very many of these on his resume.
 
This is film 11 in the Paramount Presents series of films and just like the other films in the series it has received the “A list” treatment. This really shows up in the video encode, which looks great for a film from this era. Detail is excellent, especially in the foreground, although some backgrounds can occasionally look a little soft. Blue screen work is highlighted a little bit due to the added detail, but it isn’t too distracting. The highlight of the video encode is the color palette, which is bold and rich.
 
The TrueHD 5.1 track is very engaging when needed and the dynamic range is particularly impressive given the films technical roots. Dialog intelligibility is never and issue and the third act is sure to please fans of the film as action really kicks in.
 
Video 4.5/5
 
Audio 4/5 (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
 
Special Features:
 

• The Making of The Golden Child
• Theatrical Trailer
• Blu-ray + Digital Code

 
 

 
 
Conclusion
While this definitely isn’t Murphy’s best work, it shows him growing into a much better actor which would serve him well later in his career. The screenplay is rather weak and there’s only so much a star can do to overcome this deficit. On the plus side, the film has never looked or sounded better so if you’re interested at lest the A/V quality won’t be its downfall.
 
 

Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
 Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor 
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed ChannelsATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player 
 System Controller: URC MX-980M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
 HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
 SVS SB-3000 SubwooferJL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

I said a I I I I want the knife......please....

Absolute favorite of my childhood. Wish it came out in 4k but....