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The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
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Reviews Counted:122
Fresh:55
Rotten:67
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: The writing for Scorpion is not as sharp as Woody Allen's previous movies as most of the jokes fall flat.
Theatrical Release:Aug 24, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $6,793,998
Synopsis: Woody Allen's funny, frantic THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION is part screwball romantic comedy, part 1940s noir detective story, and part ingenious heist film. Allen stars as C.W. Briggs, a... Woody Allen's funny, frantic THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION is part screwball romantic comedy, part 1940s noir detective story, and part ingenious heist film. Allen stars as C.W. Briggs, a set-in-his-ways old-time insurance investigator who refuses to get along with the bright new efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt), brought in to streamline his office's operations. Their back-and-forth bickering is reminiscent of the interplay between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in HIS GIRL FRIDAY. When a magician, played by the always excellent David Ogden Stiers, hypnotizes them as part of his stage act, Briggs unknowingly becomes a jewel thief while falling in and out of love with the exceedingly more confused Fitz, who is carrying on a secret affair with the married head of the company (Dan Aykroyd). Mayhem ensues as a pair of brother detectives zero in on the criminal, a sexy debutante comes on to Briggs, and Briggs and Fitz start suspecting each other. Production designer Santo Loquasto, who has been working with Allen for more than twenty years, once again has created beautiful sets, and the soundtrack, featuring such 1940s jazz treasures as Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington, is simply splendid. [More]
Starring: Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, Helen Hunt
Starring: Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, Helen Hunt, Elizabeth Berkley, John Schuck, Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers, Brian Markinson, Professor Corey
Director: Woody Allen
Director: Woody Allen
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Producer: Letty Aronson
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
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Reviews for The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Like a Swiss clock, Allen is the only American director who makes a film every year, but chronic fatigue and lack of inspiration seem to have taken over his work, as this retro comedy, using the old conceit of hypnosis, shows.
Woody Allen cooks up an easy-going little swindle comedy, not too far off from his last film Small Time Crooks.
A cierta altura es imposible no sentir que la broma se alarga, aún a pesar de las palabras, los personajes o el elenco.
A little Woody goes a long way. His cloying nebbishness gets old quickly, though he does have a singular wit and some kind of indefinable charm.
'The old joke of Woody as irresistible romantic lead has gone from funny, to discomforting, to pitiable.'
Is it funny? Yeah, kinda. But somehow it doesn't all come together. It's not that the material is lacking, but, incredibly for an Allen picture, that the delivery is off-kilter.
So devoid of wit, vigour or interest that it's hard not to wonder if the former Allan Konigsberg has finally lost his touch.
Latest News for The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
June 03, 2005:
Woody Allen Makes a "Match" With DreamWorks
Woody Allen's well-received entry into the Cannes Film Festival, "Match Point," has been snatched up by DreamWorks Pictures for a cool $4 million. Described as much... More...
June 05, 2001:
Hey, if it worked in 2000 with Small Time Crooks (which was Allen's most commercially profitable film ever) maybe it can work this film too. ![]()
More...
June 05, 2001:
Woody returns with another period piece, this one set in the '40s. ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 98% 98% | Up |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
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