Python Hyena The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001): Dir: Woody Allen / Cast: Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, David Ogden Stiers: Great 1940's galore yet lacking the true inspiration of Woody Allen. Title references the idea of one medium causing disruption to another. Allen and Helen Hunt play a bickering couple in the business of selling security alarms. Upon an evening out they are called up on stage where a hypnotist causes them to fall in love. The hypnotist is really a jewel thief and as follows Allen is phoned and hypnotized into stealing. He doesn't realize that police are looking for him and when he becomes a suspect his only shield is Hunt, who believes him but not sure why. This leads to a totally contrived ending. Unlike his great work in Small Time Crooks, this is not one of Allen's best efforts as director. He throws in familiar elements lifted from better movies. His role is familiar but works for him. Hunt is having an affair with her boss while being entranced herself. The ending works against her relationship mentality and her level of freedom. Dan Aykroyd is miscast as Hunt's sleazy boss who is all too predictable. Charlize Theron as a hooker sleepwalks through it. David Ogden Stiers plays the hypnotist who lands Allen in trouble to begin with. Its referral to film noir is perfectly realized despite a screenplay that is jaded. Score: 6 ½ / 10

leonblackwood Review: This is another average movie from Woody Allen, about a man and woman who get  hypnotised to steal jewellery. The man works for a insurance company, who investigates claims, and the lady has been hired to save money for the company. The jokes weren't that funny and the storyline seemed far fetched. The whole movie was set around the 1940's and the director done well to portray the period well, but I couldn't take Woody Allen's annoying one liners which are typical from some of his earlier work. The chemistry between Helen Hunt and Allen was watchable and it was good to see Dan Akroyd as the head of the company, but the whole movie seemed to drag after a while and I must admit, I did struggle to stay awake. On the plus side, I liked the whole Woody Allen as a 1940's detective concept, but it was the storyline that let the movie down. Average!Round-Up: I'm still struggling to find Woody Allen's movies that funny, but I'm determined to find out why everyone wants to work with him. He does have a unique style of writing and his love for New York and troubled relationships, do work in some of his earlier projects, but I personally find his movies more entertaining when he isn't rambling on. I must admit, he always gets a brilliant cast and he does bring the best out of actors/actresses and his latest projects like the Blue Jasmine and Whatever Works were a great watch. It just seems like he lost his touch during the 90's. Anyway, I've still got quite a few Woody Allen movies on my rental list, so fingers crossed.Budget: $33million Worldwide Gross: $19million (Flop!)I recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies about a man and woman who get hypnotised to rob expensive jewellery. 3\10

TheLittleSongbird The other one being Scoop, though that still had its fair share of flaws. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion has often been cited as one of Allen's worst(Allen even saying it being his worst) and while I would have said that on first viewing on re-watch definitely not. The ending is over too soon and is a cop-out, a lot of chemistry between the actors is quite bland- non existent between Hunt and Aykroyd- and Dan Aykroyd is completely wasted in an underwritten role. However, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is gorgeously filmed and the costumes and scenery are equally beautiful, one of Allen's better-looking later films. The upbeat and jazzy soundtrack matches the light bouncy mood of the film really well, while the script is very funny and smart with some intelligent touches and Allen's unmistakable style all over it and the story(while meandering towards the end) endears in its light-hearted approach, isn't too dull and doesn't waste its creative premise. The characters are not as relatable or as developed as other Allen films but other than Aykroyd's and to a lesser extent Charlize Theron's they do engage at least and like the script how they're written is distinctive of Woody Allen. Allen's direction hardly flounders and while he is in a way too old for his role he still gives a good account of himself, being purposefully neurotic, touchingly dithery and funny in a way that only he can be. Helen Hunt is wonderful, David Ogden Stiers plays with much lively gusto(if slightly hammy compared to everyone else but this is a case of that not being too much of a bad thing) and Elizabeth Berkley as well as looking beautiful is also surprisingly good. Like Aykroyd, Charlize Theron's character is very underwritten but her witty lines and her being at her sexiest more than compensate and she manages to be memorable at least. Overall, a decent film that could have been stronger but much better than its critical reputation and on re-watch. It's no Annie Hall, Crimes and Misdemeanours, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Husbands and Wives or The Purple Rose of Cairo and it's not as ground-breaking as Zelig. But it is a long way from Allen's worst, What's Up Tiger Lily, Celebrity, To Rome With Love and Cassandra's Dream are worse, and panned films that I have yet to watch(re-watch in the cases of Shadows and Fog, September and Anything Else, all of which on first viewing didn't impress me) are likely to be even worse than them. 7/10 Bethany Cox

lanzarishi While I doubt anyone will read this, as I am the 154th reviewer, I am writing out of respect for this great film. I truly love this film and feel it is one of my favorites as is half of Woody's entire catalog. No one gives me greater joy than Woody Allen (as far as actors and directors go). This film is so awesome in every way, the soundtrack, the actors (helen hunt and dan abroad especially), the jokes, well, everything basically. I have watched this well over 50 times and I am not lying! That Woody was miscast is an absolute crime to even say. No one could have done it better. Every facial expression, muffed line and jokes that he says are to perfection. His boyish charm is so natural as is his acting. It is non acting actually because it transcends acting - it is him, his essence. Woody is the real thing my friends that is why he is so popular and so loved. I have even come to love his films that do not star himself because I finally realized that all the actors have become him in his films. He is the Beatles of comedy movies. Helen Hunt and he are excellent together! In this day and age there is no loyalty towards teams like in the 60s or 70s (just like sports nowadays). Tony Roberts and Woody were in my opinion one of the best teams and it is a shame that Helen Hunt couldn't team up more with Woody. It is so hard for me to watch Mia Farrow in his past movies now. I tend to just pass up all his Mia movies these days. She bores me to tears! If Woody would ever do a sequel this is the movie to have a part 2! Do not miss this one!