Once upon a time, in a small village in China, there lived a powerful and fearsome Dragon Queen. Legend had it that she was cursed with a terrible fate, forever bound to her dragon form. The village elders believed that her curse brought misfortune and destruction upon anyone who crossed her path. The Dragon Queen was not always a beast, but a beautiful and kind-hearted woman. However, her beauty caught the attention of an evil sorceress who was jealous of her charms. Enraged by her envy, the sorceress cast a spell on the Dragon Queen, transforming her into a dragon and condemning her to a lifetime of despair.
Yikes! With the current vogue for eccentric detectives, let’s take a look back at a time when the very notion was out of fashion; Peter Ustinov had kick-started his own franchise as Hercules Poirot, and seemed to fancy more sleuthing action by taking on the role of Charlie Chan. Ustinov was no more Chinese than he was Belgian, and even in 1980, having all the best non-white roles played by white people was already beginning to be understood to have negative racial associations.
Imagining that guessing the killer wasn t enough for a 90 minute narrative, we also have a super-villain in the form of the Dragon Queen, played by Angie Dickinson. Charlie Chan Ustinov is presented as a cinematic detective, but also a sleuth in real life; his number one son is replaced by his number one grandson Battlestar Galactica s Richard Hatch for this whodunit.
Enraged by her envy, the sorceress cast a spell on the Dragon Queen, transforming her into a dragon and condemning her to a lifetime of despair. As the years went by, the Dragon Queen's once vibrant village turned into a desolate and despaired place. Crops failed, diseases spread, and the villagers lived in constant fear.
The Curse of 'Charlie Chan'
CHARLIE CHAN AND THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (PG) -- At the AMC Academy, AMC Skyline, K-B Bethesda, K-B Cerberus, NTI Landover Mall, Roth's Manor and Roth's Parkway.
The question to ask about "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" is not whether, as has been changed by Chinese-Americans, it is offensive. Of course it's offensive. The question is whether it's so thoroughly and frankly offensive in so many different ways at once that the offenses cancel one another out.
And the answer is, not quite. Perhaps the Chinese and the Jewish caricatures might. Chan, for all his fortune-cookie dialogue, at least has always been the most intelligent character in his films. The premise of this picture -- that when he solved the murder of a Jewish pineapple baron in Hawaii years ago, his son fell in love with the victim's daughter, and they subsequently produced a Jewish-Chinese-American who attended the universities of Shanghai and Yeshiva and who puts soy sauce on his box -- is not a bad one, as ethnic jokes go. (The murder aspect of the plot is negligible.)
Slightly lower on the scale is a routine about the butler being in a wheelchair. The character of a surly butler would be funny in itself, but the disabled element puts a nasty edge to it.
But even that isn't what ultimately spoils the film, in spite of some successful bits of business.What drags it down is a general spirit of self-conscious condescension, a superiority to the comedy manifested by constantly alerting the audience that the actors are aware how silly their characters are. The exceptions to this are the dumb young lovers, played by Richard Hatch and Michelle Pfeiffer with such straightforward enthusiasm as to be consistently comic.
Peter Ustinov, a past master of ethnic caricatures -- in a book called Ustinov's Diplomats he gets the whole United Nations at once -- seems to be talking from behind a mask. Perhaps the requirements of this role leave no character to interpret: Chan must be not only the great detective but also the movie celebrity, with a Charlie Chan festival playing in the neighborhood of the crime.
While he remains frozen, the others rush about frenetically as if to show what good sports they are at doing whatever dopey thing the script requires. Lee Grant as the Jewish grandmother, Rachel Roberts as the maid, Roddy McDowall as the butler and Brian Keith all follow this hit-or-miss method; for Angie Dickinson, who plays the Caucasian dragon lady, hit-or-miss would be a flattering exaggeration.
CHARLIE CHAN AND THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (PG) -- At the AMC Academy, AMC Skyline, K-B Bethesda, K-B Cerberus, NTI Landover Mall, Roth's Manor and Roth's Parkway.
They believed that the curse of the Dragon Queen was the cause of their suffering, and thus they shunned her, never wanting to cross her path. Despite the villagers' fears, the Dragon Queen longed for human companionship and understanding. She would often watch from afar as couples strolled hand in hand, wishing she could experience the warmth and love that they shared. However, her terrifying appearance prevented anyone from looking beyond her surface. One day, a brave and compassionate young man named Li ventured into the village. He had heard tales of the cursed Dragon Queen but felt compelled to see her for himself. Li believed that there was more to the story and that perhaps the Dragon Queen needed help rather than rejection. Li approached the Dragon Queen's lair, determined to break the curse and free her from her eternal torment. He brought with him a necklace, said to possess powerful magic, and offered it as a token of his sincerity and empathy. To his astonishment, the Dragon Queen accepted the necklace and transformed back into her human self. Tears streamed down her face as she expressed her gratitude to Li for his kindness. Finally liberated from her dragon form, she vowed to protect the village from evil and bring prosperity back to the land. Word of Li's triumph spread throughout the village, and the villagers came to realize that their fear had blinded them to the true nature of the Dragon Queen. They began to embrace her, seeking her wisdom and protection. The curse that once brought destruction now turned into a blessing of prosperity and love. The story of the Curse of the Chinese Dragon Queen serves as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. It teaches us the importance of looking beyond the surface and offering compassion to those in need. In the end, it was the love and understanding of one brave soul that broke the curse and brought happiness back to the village..
Reviews for "The Cursed Artifact: The Chinese Dragon Queen's Curse"
1. Sarah - 2/5 Stars - I was really disappointed with "The Curse of the Chinese Dragon Queen." The plot was confusing and hard to follow, and the characters lacked depth. The writing style was also quite weak, with awkward dialogue and repetitive descriptions. I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't deliver for me.
2. John - 1/5 Stars - I absolutely hated "The Curse of the Chinese Dragon Queen." The story was incredibly predictable, and the characters were cliché and uninteresting. The dialogue was cheesy, and the plot felt forced. I couldn't even finish the book because I was so bored. I would not recommend this to anyone looking for a good read.
3. Emily - 2/5 Stars - "The Curse of the Chinese Dragon Queen" was a major letdown for me. The pacing was slow and dragged on, and I found myself losing interest quickly. The world-building was also lacking, with underdeveloped settings that didn't feel believable. Overall, it didn't meet my expectations and left much to be desired.