Customer Reviews

Charlie Chan and The Curse of the Dragon Queen

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

During the 1930s Charlie Chan films were extremely popular with Asian American audiences; by the 1980s a later generation derrided them for their use of caucasian actors Warner Oland and Sidney Tolar in the title role. CHARLIE CHAN AND THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN attempts to play to both sides of the coin, acting as both homage and parody of the original films. Not surprisingly, when released in 1981 it pleased neither.

Set in San Francisco, DRAGON QUEEN finds Chan called out of retirement in Hawaii to uncover a serial killer whose trademark is "bizarre deaths;" he is assisted by his grandson, a bumbling Lee Chan Jr. who proves as much hinderance as help. Like most films that do not fulfill their promise, the problem begins with the script: it never really references the Chan films in any significant way, nor does it ever develop the fangs required of an effective parody. Nor are the two leads well suited to their roles: both Peter Ustinov and Angie Dickinson are wildly out of place as Chan and the Dragon Queen, utterly unfunny in every imaginable way.

The saving grace of the film is in the supporting players. Perhaps the single most successful performer is Lee Grant in the role of Jimmy Jr.'s maternal and very Jewish grandmother. Grant aside, the always memorable Roddy McDowell and the brilliant Rachel Roberts jolt their every scene to life; Brian Keith plays against type as a hysterical and wildly profane police officer; and Richard Hatch is surprisingly good as Chan's bumbling grandson. Michelle Pfeiffer, in one of her earliest roles, is thrown in for good measure--and while the script gives her little to do beyond look pretty and giggle she does both extremely well.

Even so, this is not enough to save the film, which slowly but surely dissolves into a morass of very obvious slapstick humor; when all is said and done, the end result is rather like THE GOOD EARTH MEETS THE PINK PANTHER. It has moments, but it is more awkward than amusing. The DVD includes two bonus shorts, a "Making Of" documentary on the film and a "History Of" American Studios. Both are mildly interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way. Three stars for the efforts of Lee Grant, Roddy McDowell, Rachel Roberts and company, but--and in the words of the original screen Chan--most viewers should say "Thank you so much!" and pass along another way.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I couldn't understand how I'd never seen it before. I love Charlie Chan films, I love Peter Ustinov. I love silly all-star casts (Death on the Nile is one of my favorites.). How could I fail to love this film? Well, it was just awful. Ustinov is okay, though the voice he chooses for Chan is actually kind of annoying. The real problem isn't anybody's performance, it's the script. Chan's son is a bumbling idiot far surpassing any of the clownishness of the older films. He's also half Jewish and played by Richard Hatch who, diplomatically, is neither Asian nor Jewish. Let's not get into the white Ustinov playing Chan. It just shows how much had not changed in the years since the originals. It isn't funny, it isn't warm--as many of the older films were--it isn't clever. It is overplayed, but not camp. It is slapstick, but not surprising. It just fails miserably. Then, to add insult to injury, in one of the special features, Richard Hatch, whose career has really soared since then, let me tell you, drones on and on about how athletic he is and how he did most of his own stunts and how he impressed the casting people. I have a bone to pick with many special features added on to movies that don't even deserve release on DVD, much less eulogies presenting them as if they actually were good or significant films. This disc is the epitome of that kind of overblown nonsense. The short about American Cinema is okay, if you really believe that a studio that produced Chuck Norris movies is worth eulogizing, as well. This DVD does nothing but glorify junk.

A truly funny comedy with many then Unknown stars and many already big stars Peter Ustinov included. The bits are origional and constantly rolling, Michelle Pfiefer and Richard Hatch are perfectly mated as the bumbling soon to be wed pair. I loved this one!

The film as such is very bad, the plot is not even close to the simple but great ones of the original Chan movies. But what is the worst is the quality of the DVD itself. Bad sound and picture quality. I really wouldn't be surprised at alle if it was just a simple but bad copy from a VHS tape. People shouldn't be allowed to sell this kind of quality! In short, a worthless addition to my collection.

I did not know this was a comedy when I bought it but it is a funny movie and I like it. Great cast.

As we all know, the best movie ever made is Road House with Patrick Swayze and Cool as Ice with Vanilla Ice is a distant second. But, this review is not about these two outstanding achievements in cinematic perfection; rather, it is about the worst movie ever - Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen. How can a movie packed with household name stars including a few with English nobility titles, crash and burn before the beginning credits finish running?

The movie lacks all the wit and wisdom of the 1930s - 1940s era films. The slapstick is slapstuck and wouldn't even make past ABC's liberal comedy standards. I wanted to laugh, really I did, but I just couldn't do it. The movie just sucks. I have never walked out of a movie that was in my DVD player, until now. Literally, I got up, walked out of the room, left the house, got in the car, drove until I ran out of gas and checked into a no questions asked motel under an assumed name. I didn't bring my cell phone or tell my wife where I was going for fear she would tell me about the film or make me listen to it through the speaker phone. In other words, even if you are a bad cinema fan (Something Weird Video, Crown International releases, MST3K etc.) the film has nothing of interest. Like skidmarks, it is a stain on the Charlie Chan franchise.

So, instead of wasting your time with this movie, "Ditch the zero, and get with a hero." Re-watch Road House or buy the new release of Cool as Ice.

This is a spoof on the more traditional Charlie Chan movies. As spoof's go, it is pretty unoriginal.

Charlie Chan hasn't changed much since his last cases in the 1930s, but his family has! Chan's grown-up Chinese-Jewish grandson is getting married in a few days, but first he wants to solve a case just like Grandpa. With a little help from honorable grandfather, the curse of the Dragon Queen is lifted.

For all the stars in this movie I'm sorry but it misses the boat. It has a few good laughs,but not many.Maybe for kids but they might not get the story.

this was a vert bad movie. It was not a real charlie chan movie. Very bad take off of the real charlie chan movies. No stars.