The formula is appealingly simple, and Allen's ear for distinctive old-codger dialogue and his equally distinctive acting let him emerge from his meandering scripts unharmed.
Comment
09/17/01
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
45
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
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.
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Comedies
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... [More]
Starring: Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, Helen Hunt
Director: Woody Allen
Reviews for The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Allen steadfastly refuses to do anything remotely unpredictable with his comic premise.
09/05/01
An enjoyable diversion with enough good laughs and acting to keep a sophisticated audience entertained.
09/04/01
Jade Scorpion is no Annie Hall (or even a Bullets Over Broadway) but there's enough good fun in its zinger lines and clever plot twists to recommend it.
09/04/01
Top CriticIt's evidently important to Allen to work, work, work, but he's starting to make his movies by rote instead of passion.
08/31/01
This is not one of Allen's finest directing or acting efforts, but overall I enjoyed watching.
08/31/01
[Allen's] let his guard down and has allowed himself and his audience to relax -- something that doesn't often happen when the specters of class and European art hover over his pictures.
08/31/01
Click to read the article
08/27/01
What on earth made Woody Allen think it would be fun to watch him and Helen Hunt, surely the most pinched actress of her generation, trade insults for an entire film?
08/27/01
[Allen] has made another slick genre piece that unspools with all of the excitement of any made-for-television caper.
08/27/01
A tepid work, almost straight comedy, but the jokes Allen is employing are ones he's used before, to much better effect.
08/27/01
If you can overlook the vanity of it, the film has its quaint charms.
08/27/01
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a pure joy to watch. It's one of Allen's best films.
08/26/01
Consistently funny, smart, and even sweet, Woody Allen’s film proves that cinema’s longest-reigning King Nerd still has it.
08/24/01
Woody Allen's weakest [film] since 1992's "Shadows and Fog."
08/24/01
It's a good act for the actor-director, who expands on the kvetchy character central to so many of his movies.
08/24/01
Despite an appealing, even ingenious premise, Scorpion is another quippy but uninspired comedy.
08/24/01
Sad to say, this charming and funny film may be one of the last of a rare genre deservedly named after a person -- the Woody Allen movie.
08/24/01
The director may be coasting with Jade Scorpion, but audiences will likely have too much fun to care.
08/24/01
A pleasant enough diversion that offers a fun twist on the old noir gumshoe film, but doesn't take that far enough to come off as grand entertainment.
08/24/01
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...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds