4K UHD Review – The Golden Child

“Beverly Hills Cop” opened in theaters on December 7th, 1984. It topped the box office charts that weekend, and remained the number one movie in America for the next 12 weeks. After his previous triumphs in buddy comedies “48 Hrs.” and “Trading Places,” Eddie Murphy was suddenly the new king of Hollywood, handed a golden opportunity to do whatever he wanted. There was talk of a Murphy-assisted “Star Trek IV,” but the actor rested for a moment, building anticipation for his next move. And that career-defining choice was 1986’s “The Golden Child,” putting the young thespian in his own all-ages, PG-13 special effects vehicle, tasking him to carry a dark study of magic and demonic influence with his traditional fast-talking ways. Coming from “Cop,” “The Golden Child” is an extreme disappointment, watching Murphy visibly give up on the production as director Michael Ritchie (way outside of his comfort zone) tries to compete in a Spielberg/Lucas industry with a halfhearted, shockingly unfunny effort that battles to balance many tones as it slows to a crawl. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com