Rating: 
Summary: Good, not great
Review: Walking into the theatre, I had no idea what to expect, since before I had never seen a Woody Allen flick before. But I decided to see this anyways, because I already saw "Jay and Silent Bob" and did not want to see "Summer Catch". What i noticed almost immediately was the styling of the film; as you probably have read, it is supposed to be set in the 1940's, and whoever was behind the styling of the film did a great job of making it feel genuine while not overbearing (in that today's culture can still somewhat relate to it). Woody Allen's acting was a bit stiff, although I don't know if he's always like this or if it was just for this movie. Helen Hunt was a surprising pick for me in this movie, but she deserves kudos for carrying it off perfectly. Both Allen and Hunt do excellent "hypnotee's". The plot, probably the best thing about this movie (note: this is not a bad thing for the rest of the movie), is well pulled off in that it's able to be complex enough to keep the movie going for just under 2 hours, while giving the audience and cast a chance to stay caught up. Now, you may be wondering why I only gave it three stars. As a result, here are my few complaints about this movie. First, there are many funny jokes, but there are also some that aren't. Secondly, as i said Allen's acting was a bit stuff, and at points it becomes painfully obvious. Finally, this is the kind of movie you should be in a certain mood for. Don't expect to be on the edge of your seat; it does require a certain level of patience; but it's still worth it. Overall, if you have patience and want to see a light hearted comedy with an interesting plot, see this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A Woody Allen Favorite!
Review: The premise for this movie allows for so many funny situations. I wasn't sure that it could be a favorite of mine, considering Helen Hunt plays such a big part and I'm not at all a fan of hers normally, but the movie's so good that not only does she not spoil the fun for me, but she actually fits right in. I can watch this movie over and over.
Rating: 
Summary: Standard, Entertaining Woodman Work.
Review: `The Curse of the Jade Scorpion' is a standard Woody Allen comedy homage / satire of an historical dramatic / film genre, in the same way that `Shadows and Fog' was a take-off on 1930s German expressionism and `A Mid-Summer's Night Sex Comedy' was a takeoff on Shakespeare's `A Mid-Summer's Night Dream'. The movie is also `standard' Woody in that many of Allen's stock company of actors and production team are working on the film, including Wallace Shawn and David Ogden Stiers. The lead actors Dan Aykroyd, Helen Hunt, and Charlize Theron are all working with Allen for the first time, but as Aykroyd says in the notes, not for want of trying. The stock quote from actors in an Allen film when they talk about getting the call to work with Woody is that they never have to be asked twice.
The movie parodies a 1940's whodunit that would have been a perfect vehicle for Humphrey Bogart in the Allen role of insurance investigator and Lauren Bacall in the roll of daughter of a wealthy burglary victim, played in this movie by Charlize Theron. Both castings are the basis of two of the more prominent humorous situations. Seeing nebbish Woody playing a role typically performed by Bogart or James Cagney or John Garfield or Edgar G. Robinson is the biggest running gag of the film. One evocation of this gag is when Allen finds himself entering an erotic encounter with the very luscious Theron. The reason the encounter is not consummated is part of the underlying story line, so I cannot say much more without giving away the heart of the movie. The joke is in how this circumstance can detour Allen from bedding Theron. Aside from this episode, Theron's appearance in the movie is poorly used. The only excuse may be that this appearance was still a good two years before Theron's Academy Award for `Monster', so she was not even at the same level of star power as costars Aykroyd and Hunt.
Aykroyd and Hunt, especially Hunt, are at the heart of the story line. Aykroyd is the boss at the insurance company at which Allen's character has worked as the head loss investigator for many years. Allen's character has been very successful at this job, largely through a talented intuition and a network of informers. Hunt is a newly hired efficiency expert charged with improving the profitability of the company. In this role, she immediately clashes with Allen's old time testosterone stereotype who views Hunt in much the same light as he sees the luscious office girls. This clash, leading to Hunt's hiring an outside detective agency to investigate two very similar burglaries, is the main foreground action, sharing the stage with the love affair between Hunt and Aykroyd.
One thing I always like about Allen films is that once you buy into his basic premise or setting for the movie, his presentation of human nature is generally quite accurate, contrary to implausible behavior in many other comedies, not to mention plainly impossible premises based on miracle changes in age or body switching. In this film, Allen's character is quite competent at his job and his colleagues stand by him even when evidence connecting him to the burglaries mounts, gathered by the outside agency. We are dealing with stereotypes here, but they are realistic stereotypes.
As always, Allen has a roster of stars behind the camera as well as in front of it. One of his greatest strengths seems be in building a strong team that historically always brings his films in on schedule and within budget, with a critical if not a popularly successful movie. Allen's studios have probably gotten into the habit of expecting him to create movies produced for 20 million and netting 25 million. Money in the bank, for sure.
As Allen movies go, this is not his best comedy, and it is certainly not his worst. It has a happy ending with none of the angst of `Manhattan' and none of the pathos of `The Purple Rose of Cairo'. It is the kind of movie that can be enjoyed by people who are not confirmed Woodman fans. Up to this point, DVDs of Allen films generally do not have a lot of special features. All the usual subtitle, trailer, and biographic extras are there, but nothing else. I really have no problem with this, as I would much rather see Allen spend his time on his next movie rather than spicing up the extras on a good movie which can stand on its own very well, thank you.
Recommended to anyone who likes intelligent comedies. Especially recommended to Woody Allen fans.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: The Jade Scorpion is a pure gem! No need to write a dissertation on Woody's movie making. I agree with another review. Just enjoy it! Woody's one-liners are irresistible, almost witty. Dan Aykroyd is even better than in "driving miss daisy", and Helen Hunt finally gets us to laugh and smile at her usual "up-tightness". That's pure Woody's genius. Not to mention the delightful choice of the soundtrack. There is a bit of a "Pink Panther" feel to this movie. Absolutely delightful, delightful, delightful. I have been looking for the soundtrack on CD for years and can't put my hand on it. If you know where I can find one, buy it and post it on ebay or advertise on USA Today (which I never read). Anyway. Just enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: HOKUM
Review: In BriefSet in 1940's Jazz filled New York, Woody Allen stars as an ace insurance investigator named C W Briggs. A man who prides himself on his ability to crack any case finally meets his match when he himself becomes the crook under the hypnotic spell of an evil mastermind. Can he break the spell before its too late, or will the new efficiency expert (Helen Hunt) break him first - or is she under a spell too? Review This, like many of Allen's films are finding it harder and harder to get a distributor. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion in particular was made and released back last year and it is only now that it finally has reached our shores. So why is one of the greatest auteurs of the 20th Century being shunned? Well like any athlete in the Olympics, once you've won gold your judged on the standard of that championship win and not how well you have performed on the day, this is the same for Allen. An audience has a certain expectation about a Woody Allen picture, and unfortunately The Curse of the Jade Scorpion does not match up. As always the wry sharp dialogue of Allen is spot on, and while the performance constructed by Aykroyd grated it fitted the persona of Briggs' shallow boss perfectly. Hunt was steamy, strong and as Allen's leading lady, you couldn't have asked for more. Yet the farcical nature of the narrative was as irritating as the music that indicated that this was a `crazy' slamming door farcical moment. Most surprising of all was the amount of shots with the boom in view - one realises that it is the job of the projectionist to mask these but the fact that an auteur of Allen's standard allowed them to reach the final negative is shocking. One of the greatest strengths in the film comes in the guise of the environment that has been created in making a believable 1940's New York City. The Rainbow Room party scene looks as if had been taken straight from the period. It isn't an overstated stylised forties, and this is to Allen, Santo Loquasto, and Suzanne McCabe's credit, people look normal, dressed down, simple forties style, the only glimpse of glamour coming through Charlize Theron's sassy Laura Kensington. While the jazz soundtrack had many a toe tapping in the audience, creating a beautiful sense in the mind of a dirty but sexy city. Indeed the dirty wallpaper & lighting in Briggs' apartment fascinated me as it was as brilliant statement of character as the acting itself. The Verdict This is essentially the work of a great man on autopilot - hopefully he will steer out of these nose dives in the future, as the novelty of Hollywood talent queuing up to work with him will wear thin. Only then we will be faced with the bare truth that there really isn't much to a film like this. It's harsh to look at something that is reasonable fair in such a manner, but judged he must be and we all know that he can do so much better.
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