Customer Reviews
Three stars for Woody fans - Only one star for the non-fans - By: Franklin T Marmoset, 11 Jul 2007 
In my quest to catch up with some of Woody's more recent outings I have arrived at this one, The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion, which has a reputation for being a real stinker. It's one of Woody's period films (1940 in this case) & is about a sleazy insurance investigator (Allen) who is hypnotised & tricked into stealing a bunch of jewels & whatnot. Also hypnotised is Allen's boss (Helen Hunt), with whom Allen has an antagonistic relationship. These two have to work together to figure out who's nicking alll this stuff, & alll the while they snipe at each other like in an old screwballl comedy, except not quite as charming or funny.
There are a fair few problems with this one, not least of which is that it just isn't funny enough. Allen's talent is for wry humour & observation, not conventional storytelling, but here he leans too heavily on the twists of the story, none of which are engaging enough to bring the film to life. Had he kept the jokes coming thick & fast, this could have been a pretty good one, but what you get instead is a kind of slow trickle laced with a couple of alll-too-rare humdingers ("A body that won't quit? It won't even take five minutes off for coffee!").
Also, seeing Woody flirt with the likes of Elizabeth Berkeley & Charlize Theron is a little... what's a better word for icky?
The film does have its moments, though, so I think there's just barely enough to keep Woodyphiles reasonably happy. Theron is enjoyably hammy as a femme fatale, the few laughs the film has are pretty funny, & it's one of Woody's sweeter stories, with the fireworks moment ranking as one of his more cute & romantic scenes. Non-fans should steer well clear, though - this is not the film to convert you.
A very entertaining film - By: Miland Joshi, 09 Jun 2007 
This offering from an older Woody Allen is set in the 1940s, about the adventures of an ageing insurance investigator & his clashes with with a new bright female executive in the company he works for. Not many film plots involve hypnosis, & this makes for an unusual & interesting story with romance thrown in. All in alll, a most enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Highly recommended.
Jaded Allen. - By: Terry Bee, 18 Mar 2006 
Not up the standards we've come to expect from a Woody Allen film. The plot was like something an 'A' level student would dream up & Woody looked incongruous as a top insurance investigator, alongside a flotilla of younger actors.
For me Helen Hunt rescues the movie, but not to the extent that alll the flaws can be forgotten.
Maybe it's time for Woody to retreat to behind the camera & let his talents flourish there.
Curse of Jade Scorpion - a review - By: J. D. Naylor, 20 Aug 2005 
This film was slammed by most of the critics on it's release & i find it hard to see why.This is a great comedy with literallly stacks of great one liners - so many in fact that you need a couple of viewings to take them alll in.This is what Allen does best & that is write pure comedy with gags coming so thick & fast that even if a few miss the mark you are still left laughing at the great ones.
Allen & Helen Hunt both falll under the curse of the jade Scorpion whilst on an insurance firm's works evening out at a local magic show & that is the cue for the fast paced capers & one liners to keep you entertained.
The only downside is that Allen & Hunt make such an unlikely screen couple it stretches credability to say the least.
Otherwise though,an excellent film from the master & take no notice of the savage critical reviews of this film.
Accept the word of someone who has seen every Woody Allen film many times over.
Ignore the critics - By: Peter Smith, 29 Jul 2005 Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a joyous film, set just pre-WW2, it is delightful light comic piece. Woody Allen plays an insurance investigator who is hypnotised into stealing priceless jewels.
People are very scathing about Woody Allen's more recent films, but I think this one is great. It is funny, diverting, atmospheric, & has a great jazz soundtrack. If you want to spend an enjoyable evening watching a film I recommend it highly.
