The Golden Child (1986) - Dir: Michael Ritchie
September 27th, 2006
“I know this is a dream, so I can say anything I want and get away with it. So I think I will say, from my heart, kiss my ass. Kiss my ass!”
Eddie Murphy reluctantly becomes the “the chosen one”, when he goes in search of the Golden Child. The film is very funny and never takes it self too seriously. This was in the days when Murphy was in his prime, he does re-use some of his stand-up routine in this movie to good effect. You wonder while watching whether they had a stronger rating in mind while filming, some of the violence and dialogue seem trimmed.
Charles Dance is good as the demon in human form, especially when Murphy is playing off him for comedy effect. A lot of the Chinese cast of Big Trouble in Little China appear in this film of the same vintage, a film that is very similar in some respects.
While not in the same league as Murphy’s Trading Places, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop etc, it still is very funny in places. My favourite gag is when he starts singing along to the Nepalese in-flight music, cracks me up every time.