The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

Released 2001
Stars Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Brian Markinson, Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers, Charlize Theron
Directed by Woody Allen

The year is 1940. Allen stars as C.W. Briggs (Woody Allen), a crack fraud investigator at an insurance company. Briggs has a reputation second-to-none, both for getting his job done and as a ladies' man. One woman his charm has not affected is the company's new efficiency expert, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt). She and Briggs hate each other with a white-hot passion. She's desperate to get him fired, but her boss (and lover), Chris Magruder (Dan Aykroyd), dismisses Briggs as harmless. One night, when several of the workers go out together to a club, a hypnotist (David Ogden Stiers) brings Briggs and Betty Ann on stage and places them under the influence. While in his power, they confess their undying love for each other. When they come to, they seem normal, but the hypnotist has implanted a key word into each of their subconsciouses. Later, he uses this power, the "power of the Jade Scorpion", to force Briggs and Betty Ann to commit jewel robberies - robberies they end up investigating as part of their job.

Summary by James Berardinelli

I liked this movie, although it lacked punch. It was consistently funny and interesting, but it didn't have many big laughs. It had enough for me to recommend it, though. It's not one of Woody's best, but it's fun. --Bill Alward, March 8, 2004