Movies From the Hat III – The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

This is my 2,001st movie review

Thanks to Damien for recommending this film to me!

“They all look the same upside down.” – C.W.

Number of Times Seen – 1 (11 Feb 2016)

Brief Synopsis – An insurance investigator in 1940 must try and solve a series of robberies that are being perpetrated by an unknown assailant who seems to know everything about their security procedures.

My Take on it – I have never been the biggest fan of Woody Allen’s films, but have always loved his comedy skits.

When his characters actually use that comedy, it makes his films very endearing to me.

This IMHO, is one of his best films because of the characters he has created and the dialogue he assigns each of them.

The scripts gives so many of the characters perfect one-liners and comeback that fly across the screen so easily.

I have read that Allen wanted to cast either Tom Hanks or Jack Nicholson in the lead role, but as much as I love both of them, I highly doubt either could have matched Allen’s delivery of the lines and his demeanor throughout.

Allen’s chemistry with Helen Hunt works very well here although on the surface one may think that the two wouldn’t work so well together.

Really enjoyed the way this story is planned out and eventually played out.

In addition to it all, the musical score is great and really gets us into the right mood for this kind of story.

Bottom Line – One of Allen’s funniest films IMHO. The one-liners and comebacks fly back and forth between all of the characters with such ease.  Allen really was the best choice to play the lead. His chemistry with Hunt works here despite not seeming so off the bat.  Really loved how this is played out. Excellent musical score that works extremely well along with the story. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – According to Woody Allen, this is one of his worst movies because he’s leading it. He couldn’t find anyone to play the lead and had to do it himself, even though he felt he wasn’t a good fit for the part. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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