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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
This isn't vintage Woody -- we haven't seen that since, oh, Hannah and Her Sisters -- but it's good enough.
Mr. Allen asks the audience to believe that an irresistible sexual tension arises out of the oil-and-vinegar combination of Betty Ann and C.W.; instead, they look and sound utterly uncomfortable together.
The movie has an odd feeling, both lush and listless. It's enough to make us believe Allen's comic batteries need recharging.
...plods along with all the verve and inspiration of a contractual obligation.
While it delivers a healthy supply of humor and a few snappy performances, it's so airy it practically floats right off the screen.
Allen keeps the film rolling by letting his character’s vulnerability seep into even the most heated exchanges.
The romance between C.W. and Betty Ann doesn't have much ardor, repressed or otherwise.
Here's a film that simply reeks of contractual obligations and a screenplay yanked out of someone's attic.
an engaging throwback to the kind of films that no one - except Woody Allen - makes any more.
¡La Maldición del Escorpión de Jade es una delicia venenosa e hipnótica!
It is so insubstantial and comically weak that it barely tickles the laugh meter. It does provide a number of smiles, however.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is everything you'd expect from Woody Allen -- funny lines, stars galore, jazzy music, and gratuitously good cinematography.
A pleasant film that is not all that good as far as the crime caper story goes, but still is endearing.
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...
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