Skip to content
Now Playing Podcast
  • Movie ReviewsExpand
    • New Movie Reviews
    • Upcoming Review Schedule
    • Curated PicksExpand
      • Now Playing Podcast Staff Picks
      • Listener Chosen Reviews
      • Now Playing Podcast Approved
      • Reviews by Film Genre
      • Brown Arrow Films
      • TV Series Reviews
      • TV Miniseries Reviews
      • Direct-to-Video/Streaming Reviews
    • Retrospective SeriesExpand
      • Recent SeriesExpand
        • Christopher Nolan
        • Evil Dead
        • Comic Book Movies
      • All Series
      • One-Off Movie Reviews
      • Patron Exclusive Reviews
    • Frequent PlayersExpand
      • Most Reviewed Actors
      • Most Reviewed Directors
      • Golden Headphones
  • Book ReviewsExpand
    • Recent Book Reviews
  • Other PodcastsExpand
    • Intermission Podcasts
    • Interviews
    • Broadway Reviews
    • Friday the 13th Series Wrap-Up
    • The Now Playing Christmas Special (2008)
    • All Podcasts
  • ArticlesExpand
    • Features
    • Entertainment News
    • Show News
    • Featured SeriesExpand
      • 40-Year-Old Critic
      • Blade: The TV Series Reviews
      • Spider-Man TV Series Reviews
      • The Incredible Hulk TV Reviews
  • Support Our ShowExpand
    • Now Playing Podcast Summer/Fall 2026 Donation Drive
    • Join our Patreon
    • Get Bonus Shows in our Patreon Store
    • Support on Apple Podcasts
    • Our Patrons
  • ShopExpand
    • Get Now Playing Merch
    • Get Bonus Podcasts in our Patreon Digital Store
  • SubscribeExpand
    • Our IN FOCUS Newsletter
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Amazon Music
    • YouTube
    • Android
    • Podbean
    • TuneIn
    • iHeartRadio
    • Pocket Casts
    • Podchaser
    • Audacy
    • RSS Feed
  • AboutExpand
    • Contact Us
    • The Now Playing Podcast Team
    • About Now Playing PodcastExpand
      • About Now Playing Podcast
      • Our Review Philosophy
      • How We Choose Movies
      • Why We Review Older Films
      • How We Rate Movies
      • Our Recording Workflow
      • Our Editing Workflow
    • FAQ
  • Log In
Now Playing Podcast
  1. Home
  2. Movies
  3. Individual Movie Reviews
  4. The Golden Child

The Golden Child

The podcast is good to keep the yang up!

Green Arrow
Red Arrow Red Arrow
🎙️ Premium Episode
Patreon
Podcast Series
Individual Movie Reviews
Podcast Series
Individual Movie Reviews
Our Review Hosts: Arnie, Brock, Stuart
Reviewed September 8, 2011

After the massive success of Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy had the clout to make just about any movie he wanted, and the result was supernatural detective adventure The Golden Child. A script originally intended for Mad Max Mel Gibson, Murphy changes the mood by being a wisecracking social worker drawn into a mystical quest to rescue a kidnapped child believed to be a holy figure, while sinister cult leader Charles Dance works to bring darkness into the world. From ancient daggers to the infamous “butt pie” scene, this 1986 fantasy-comedy is a strange blend of action, laughs, and New Age weirdness. Does The Golden Child still sparkle, or is it a relic of Murphy’s ’80s superstardom? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Brock on this bonus podcast to find out!

This Podcast Is for Supporters. Here’s How to Access It.

Now Playing Podcast is ad-free and sponsor-free, funded entirely by listeners. Your support lets us release new episodes every Tuesday without interruption.

Here’s how to support Now Playing Podcast and unlock this exclusive podcast:

Individual Purchase

Prefer a one-time option? Purchase this podcast individually through the Patreon Digital Shop.

Tip: Prices are higher in the Patreon iOS app. Use the Patreon website to save.

Get This Show on Patreon

Every contribution counts. However you support, it helps keep Now Playing Podcast going. Thanks for making the show possible.

Hear More Reviews of Films From
Michael Ritchie
Hear All Reviews of Films Featuring
Aron Kincaid Bob Tzudiker Charles Dance Conrad Hurtt Eddie Murphy Frank Welker Gene LeBell James Hong Masanori Toguchi Peter Kwong Pons Maar Randall 'Tex' Cobb Ron Veto Shakti Chen Tau Logo Victor Wong Wally Taylor
Buy on Amazon Affiliate Link

The Golden Child

1986 PG-13 1h 34m

After a Tibetan boy, the mystical Golden Child, is kidnapped by the evil Sardo Numspa, humankind's fate hangs in the balance. On the other side of the world in Los Angeles, the priestess Kee Nang seeks the Chosen One, who will save the boy from death. When Nang sees social worker Chandler Jarrell on television discussing his ability to find missing children, she solicits his expertise, despite his skepticism over being "chosen."

Release Date
December 12, 1986
Director
Michael Ritchie
Writer
Dennis Feldman
Stars
Aron Kincaid, Bennett Ohta, Bob Tzudiker, Chantara Nop, Charles Dance, Charles Levin, Charlotte Lewis, Cliffy Magee, Conrad Hurtt, Eddie Murphy , Eric Douglas, Frank Welker, Gene LeBell, J.L. Reate, James Hong, Judy Hudson, Kenneth H. Frith Jr., Marilyn Schreffler, Masanori Toguchi, Peter Kwong, Pons Maar, Randall 'Tex' Cobb, Ron Packham, Ron Veto, Shakti Chen, Tau Logo, Victor Wong, Wally Taylor
See 18 more ▼ Show less ▲
Producer
Edward S. Feldman, Robert D. Wachs
Cinematography
Donald E. Thorin
Music
Michel Colombier
Genre
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Budget
$25,000,000
External Links
IMDb | TMDB

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

More from the Individual Movie Reviews series

See All 205 →
Brown Arrow
Now Playing Approved

Over the Top

I Don’t Brake For Bad Scripts

Reviewed Jul 10, 2026
Lincoln Hawk a hard-luck big-rig trucker takes us under the glaring Las Vegas lights for all the boisterous action of the World Armwrestling Championship. Relying on wits and willpower, Hawk tries to rebuild his life by capturing the first-place prize money, and the love of the son he abandoned years earlier into the keeping of his rich, ruthless father-in-law. Genres: Action, Drama

I Spit on Your Grave

A crow on the thatch, soon death lifts the latch

Reviewed May 1, 2026
A beautiful woman from the city, Jennifer Hills, rents an isolated cabin in the country to write her latest novel. Soon, a group of local lowlifes subject her to a nightmare of degradation, rape, and violence. Genres: Crime, Horror, Thriller

Normal

I guess you think you're... you know, like an authority f...

Reviewed Apr 26, 2026
An unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past responds to a bank robbery in a small, sleepy town and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive. Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
Now Playing Approved

Miracle Mile

The Date After

Reviewed Mar 20, 2026
After 30 years of searching, Harry has finally met the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los Angeles in less than an hour! Genres: Comedy, Science Fiction, Thriller
Now Playing Approved

Poor Things

Franken-Stone

Reviewed Feb 27, 2026
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Genres: Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Raging Ghoul

Reviewed Feb 24, 2026
Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster, which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It's not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions. Genres: Drama, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction

Dracula

Vlad The Impersonator

Reviewed Feb 10, 2026
In late 15th-century Eastern Europe, Prince Vlad II’s bride is brutally murdered. As a result, he renounces God and damns Heaven itself. Cursed with eternal life, Vlad is reborn as Dracula, an immortal warlord who defies fate in a blood-soaked crusade to wrench his lost love back from death. Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Now Playing Approved

The Fencer

Mr Stalin's Opus

Reviewed Jan 30, 2026
Fleeing from the Russian secret police, a young Estonian fencer is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school. The past however catches up and puts him in front of a difficult choice. Genres: Drama, History
Now Playing Approved

Scrooged

Yule Love It

Reviewed Dec 5, 2025
Frank Cross is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life. But after firing a staff member on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past. Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Now Playing Approved

Frankenstein

Father Knows Beast

Reviewed Nov 25, 2025
Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Now Playing Approved Staff Pick

Moneyball

Takes Me Out Of The Ballgame

Reviewed Nov 2, 2025
The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players. Genres: Drama

Maniac Cop

Blue Lives Molder

Reviewed Oct 31, 2025
A killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City. Genres: Action, Crime, Horror, Mystery

If You Liked This, Check Out...

Now Playing Approved

The Odyssey

Ill Will Hunting

Reviewed Jul 21, 2026
Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront the whims of gods, mythological monsters, and trials that stretch both his cunning and his humanity to the breaking point. Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

The Bonfire of the Vanities

The Money Pit

Reviewed Jul 3, 2026
After his mistress runs over a black teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight; A down-and-out reporter breaks the story and opportunists clamber to use it to their advantage. Genres: Comedy, Drama

Supergirl

Stupor Girl

Reviewed Jun 30, 2026
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice. Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

Joe Versus the Volcano

Moonf*cked

Reviewed Jun 26, 2026
Hypochondriac Joe Banks finds out he has six months to live, quits his dead end job, musters the courage to ask his co-worker out on a date, and is then hired to jump into a volcano by a mysterious visitor. Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance
Now Playing Approved

Toy Story 5

Left To Her Own Devices

Reviewed Jun 23, 2026
When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime. Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
Now Playing Approved

Agatha All Along

The Switches of Eastview

Reviewed Jun 16, 2026
Agatha Harkness gathers a coven of witches and sets off down, down, down The Witches' Road. Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Listener Request
Now Playing Approved

Tropic Thunder

Fully Mental Jag-offs

Reviewed Jun 12, 2026
A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. After ballooning costs force the studio to cancel the movie, the frustrated director refuses to stop shooting, leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they encounter real bad guys. Genres: Action, Comedy, War

Masters of the Universe

Fistos of Fury

Reviewed Jun 9, 2026
After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela and Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe. Genres: Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Roar

A household truly bursting with prides

Reviewed Jun 5, 2026
Roar follows a family who are attacked by various African animals at the secluded home of their keeper. Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Thriller

He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword

By The Power of Filmation

Reviewed Jun 2, 2026
After experiencing traumatic nightmares of a time now past, the Sorceress summons Prince Adam and Cringer to Castle Grayskull to give Adam a precious, jeweled sword and send the pair to the planet Etheria to investigate its secrets. Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy

The Mandalorian and Grogu

The old protect the young, and the young develop poor eat...

Reviewed May 26, 2026
The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu. Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

Lake Placid: Legacy

"You shouldn’t have taken the bait.”

Reviewed May 15, 2026
A group of young explorers discover a secret area hidden from all maps and GPS devices. When they reach the center of the lake, they discover an abandoned facility that houses one of the largest, and deadliest apex-predators known to man. Genres: Action, Horror, Science Fiction, TV Movie

More Films Directed by Michael Ritchie

Fletch Lives

Schlong of the South

Reviewed Nov 29, 2022
Fletch is a fish out of water in small-town Louisiana, where he's checking out a tumbledown mansion he's inherited. When a woman he flirts with turns up dead, he becomes a suspect and must find the killer and clear his name. Genres: Comedy, Crime, Mystery

Fletch

Beverly Hills Copycat

Reviewed Nov 22, 2022
When investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher goes undercover to write a piece on the drug trade at a local beach, he's approached by wealthy businessman Alan Stanwyk, who offers him $50,000 to murder him. With sarcastic wit and a knack for disguises, Fletch sets out to uncover Stanwyk's story. Genres: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
  • Privacy Statement
  • Opt-out preferences
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer
  • Home

© 2026 Now Playing Podcast, Venganza Media Inc.

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • Movie Reviews
    • New Movie Reviews
    • Upcoming Review Schedule
    • Curated Picks
      • Now Playing Podcast Staff Picks
      • Listener Chosen Reviews
      • Now Playing Podcast Approved
      • Reviews by Film Genre
      • Brown Arrow Films
      • TV Series Reviews
      • TV Miniseries Reviews
      • Direct-to-Video/Streaming Reviews
    • Retrospective Series
      • Recent Series
        • Christopher Nolan
        • Evil Dead
        • Comic Book Movies
      • All Series
      • One-Off Movie Reviews
      • Patron Exclusive Reviews
    • Frequent Players
      • Most Reviewed Actors
      • Most Reviewed Directors
      • Golden Headphones
  • Book Reviews
    • Recent Book Reviews
  • Other Podcasts
    • Intermission Podcasts
    • Interviews
    • Broadway Reviews
    • Friday the 13th Series Wrap-Up
    • The Now Playing Christmas Special (2008)
    • All Podcasts
  • Articles
    • Features
    • Entertainment News
    • Show News
    • Featured Series
      • 40-Year-Old Critic
      • Blade: The TV Series Reviews
      • Spider-Man TV Series Reviews
      • The Incredible Hulk TV Reviews
  • Support Our Show
    • Now Playing Podcast Summer/Fall 2026 Donation Drive
    • Join our Patreon
    • Get Bonus Shows in our Patreon Store
    • Support on Apple Podcasts
    • Our Patrons
  • Shop
    • Get Now Playing Merch
    • Get Bonus Podcasts in our Patreon Digital Store
  • Subscribe
    • Our IN FOCUS Newsletter
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Amazon Music
    • YouTube
    • Android
    • Podbean
    • TuneIn
    • iHeartRadio
    • Pocket Casts
    • Podchaser
    • Audacy
    • RSS Feed
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • The Now Playing Podcast Team
    • About Now Playing Podcast
      • About Now Playing Podcast
      • Our Review Philosophy
      • How We Choose Movies
      • Why We Review Older Films
      • How We Rate Movies
      • Our Recording Workflow
      • Our Editing Workflow
    • FAQ
  • Log In