The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

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The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

PG-13

Released Aug 24, 2001

1h 43m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

44%

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122 Reviews

53%

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10,000+ Ratings

Woody Allen stars as CW Briggs, the top insurance investigator in New York in 1940-or so he keeps telling the firm's new efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt). Briggs prides himself on being able to crack any insurance caper by getting into the mind of the thief, but now, thanks to the hypnotic powers of the Jade Scorpion, the mind of a thief is getting into Briggs.

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Critics Consensus

The writing for Scorpion is not as sharp as Woody Allen's previous movies as most of the jokes fall flat.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Older kids may like this Woody Allen comedy.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Nev Pierce

BBC.com

So devoid of wit, vigour or interest that it's hard not to wonder if the former Allan Konigsberg has finally lost his touch.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 19, 2002

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Peter Rainer

New York Magazine/Vulture

The romance between C.W. and Betty Ann doesn't have much ardor, repressed or otherwise.

Jan 22, 2002

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Allen's script is generally amateurish and devoid of much life or feeling.

Mar 5, 2021

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Kit Bowen

Hollywood.com

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2008

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Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

Rated: 2/4

Dec 27, 2007

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

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jim t

A 1940's mystery rom com with 1940's music and 1940's hypgnosis stereotypes to fuel the plot. Last but not least, a dialogue laced with borscht belt one liners. Fertile ground for Woody's genius. Precisely what he excels at. Maybe not his best but way better than typical cinema fare these days.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/23

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Rick R

not funny, not entertaining. weak acting from woody allen and dan aykroyd. Helen Hunt was tops, an excellent actress always!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/24

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Audience Member

It feels more like a Woody Allen parody than a film noir/pulp one.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Terry S

Say what you want, this is a feel good laughable film. The cast is great-The jokes funny-And you will laugh-I promise you !

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/22

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dave s

Woody Allen's comedy The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a stylish but ultimately disappointing period piece. Set in 1940s New York, C.W. Briggs (Allen) and Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) have two things in common – they hate each other and they both work for the same insurance company. When both are hypnotized by a nightclub entertainer, they are used as a pawn in a series of jewelry heists. The film looks great and the story is interesting, but it ultimately fails due to its cringeworthy attempts at humor, usually consisting of juvenile insults and glib asides, that fail to generate much in the way of laughs. On top of that, it has one of the most annoying music scores imaginable. There are some things to like, but it's a bit of a disappointment overall.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Woody Allen

Director

Woody Allen

CW Briggs

Dan Aykroyd

Chris Magruder

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren

Jill

Helen Hunt

Betty Ann Fitzgerald

Brian Markinson

Al

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Synopsis

Woody Allen stars as CW Briggs, the top insurance investigator in New York in 1940-or so he keeps telling the firm's new efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt). Briggs prides himself on being able to crack any insurance caper by getting into the mind of the thief, but now, thanks to the hypnotic powers of the Jade Scorpion, the mind of a thief is getting into Briggs.

Director: Woody Allen
Producer: Letty Aronson
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Gravier Productions, DreamWorks SKG, Perido Productions, Sweetland Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.5M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Mono, Surround, DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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