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