The Golden Child (1986)

directed by Michael Ritchie

starring Eddie Murphy, Charlotte Lewis, Charles Dance, Victor Wong, J. L. Reate, Randall 'Tex' Cobb, James Hong

MPAA rating: Studio: Paramount Pictures Script: Dennis Feldman Music: John Barry, Michel Colombier Running time: 94 minutes Tags: Action; armageddon; Buddhism; Comedy; cults; Los Angeles; Romance; Tibet Tactical strength: [5/10]

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Chandler Jarrell (Eddie Murphy) searches for lost children. He doesn't have any obvious source of income, so he is probably a private detective, but the plot does not really make this clear. In any case, a demon, Sardo Numpsa (Charles Dance) kidnaps a Tibetan child, the Golden Child, whom prophecy claims will bring compassion to the Earth.

Tibetan prophecy also describes a Chosen One who will save the Golden Child from evil. Chandler Jarrell gets recruited (basically stalked) by Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis), a Tibetan woman who has studied the prophecies and believes Chandler Jarrell to be the Chosen One.

Sardo cannot kill the child right away because the child can defend himself with psychic powers, thus, he must use a dagger brought to the earth from hell meant to kill a previous Golden Child. Tibetan monks keep the dagger in a protective dungeon. Using a predictable demonic laziness, Sardo offers to exchange the Golden Child for the dagger.

Of course Chandler reluctantly volunteers to retrieve the dagger and enthusiastically pursues Kee Nang as a love interest.

Generally funny, but not riotously so.

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