Trading Places four stars out of five, classifying "Trading Places" as "Excellent" per the magazine's star rating system, stating that Murphy and Aykroyd are the show-stealers. A review of the film published by "Variety" magazine called the film "a light romp geared up by the schtick shifted by Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy." The review gave further commendations to supporting actors, stating that Murphy and Aykroyd "couldn't have brought this one off without the contributions of three veterans - Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche and the droll Englishman, Denholm Elliott" and calling the presence of Jamie Lee Curtis "enjoyable." The film received several
Eddie Murphy being heavily re-written from comic relief to love interest, ultimately went to future "7th Heaven" star Catherine Hicks. By this point Murphy's near-exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures rivaled "Star Trek" as Paramount's most lucrative franchise. In 1986, Murphy starred in the supernatural comedy, "The Golden Child". Although "The Golden Child" performed well at the box office, the movie was not as critically acclaimed as "48 Hrs.", "Trading Places", and "Beverly Hills Cop". "The Golden Child" was considered a change of pace for Murphy because of the supernatural setting as opposed to the more "street smart" settings of Murphy's previous efforts.