Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 23, 2016

Controversy tends to follow any discussion of Charlie Chan, but it’s hard to deny the extensive media history the character has enjoyed, bringing his crime-solving ways to books, television, radio, and movies. It’s easy to see why some would be offended, finding the Asian detective often played by white men in yellowface, struggling cartoonishly with the English language, but it’s also interesting to watch the sleuth always emerge as the smartest person in the room, with little slipping past him. However, for 1981’s “Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen,” outrage is generally challenged by silliness, with director Clive Donner (“What’s New Pussycat?”) favoring slapstick for this mystery, playing up physical humor and witty exchanges to act as a rodeo clown while the production returns to a few bad habits. Sure, Peter Ustinov portraying Chan isn’t the most sensitive casting, but he’s solid in the role, while the rest of the picture is too busy slipping and sliding along to truly engage in hate.

Not too long ago, Charlie Chan (Peter Ustinov) solved an important the murder in the heart of Hawaii, nailing nemesis The Dragon Queen (Angie Dickinson) for the crime. Years later, Mrs. Lupowitz (Lee Grant) is a mess, clinging to her late husband’s ashes for comfort while housemaid Mrs. Dangers (Rachel Roberts) and wheelchair-bound butler Gillespie (Roddy McDowall) take care of daily duties. Lupowitz’s son is Lee Chan, Jr. (Richard Hatch), Charlie’s grandson, and a young man eager to join the family business as a detective in San Francisco. While unsuccessful at his job, Lee is distracted by his upcoming marriage to Cordelia (Michelle Pfeiffer), with the bride-to-be supportive of her future husband’s dream. When a series of murders tear through the city, Charlie is pulled out of retirement, put on the case while Lee begs for a chance to help uncover clues. Gradually realizing The Dragon Queen has returned to power, Charlie works to catch the true criminal behind the savagery, while keeping an eye on Lee, whose disaster-prone ways cause trouble for the pair as they attempt to solve the case.

“Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen” opens with a song from the detective, who musically wanders his way through the main titles, summarizing the dangers of his line of work. It’s a disarming way to begin the feature, and a smart play from Donner, immediately disarming viewers ready to tear the picture apart. The tune introduces a level of silliness the production is comfortable sharing without hesitation, and while “Dragon Queen” isn’t a parody, it does reach a few “Airplane!”-style highs of absurdity, with Donner executing extensive smash-em-up sequences, most tracking Lee through San Francisco neighborhoods and around his own house, with the “number one grandson” unaware of the mess he makes as he goes about his business. The movie isn’t mean-spirited, it’s just dumb, but a passable style of stupidity that brightens the viewing experience when the production really gets lost in comedic insanity, trying its best to surround Charlie with a host of manic characters and impossibly broad situations.

The whodunit at the heart of “Dragon Queen” isn’t a stunning example of mystery writing, but the film is quick to leave criminal details behind to have fun. There are murders occurring in San Francisco, finding Charlie coming out of retirement to inspect crime scenes, with the investigation taking the master detective into an acupuncturist office, finding one dead man with a knife in his chest to go with all his therapy needles. Since this is 1981, the obligatory trip to a flashy disco is made, where a dance floor saxophonist is electrocuted, inspiring the masses to mimic his death spasms, thinking they’re part of a new dance trend. Charlie even interacts with a row of pimps on the street, with the hoodlums stealing his preference for white suits. “Dragon Queen” is perhaps best when exposing Charlie to the outside world, finding Ustinov gamely sharing the character’s wisdom with the masses. Of course, once The Dragon Queen returns to town, Donner plants a few red herrings to keep viewers alert, but question marks and accusations aren’t what this effort is about. If you’re still taking this thing seriously after the saxophonist bit, it’s your own fault.

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a straightforward viewing experience for "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen," providing satisfactory detail for the picture's backlot decoration and make-up achievements, though cinematographic interests tend to follow a softer, period look. Costuming also finds interesting textures. Colors are secure, emphasizing a naturalistic palette that periodically favors reds and greens. Skintones are comfortable. Whites are a bit bloomy. Delineation handles evening sequences and distances without disruption. Source is in good shape, with mild speckling detected.

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't fresh, but it gets the job done, setting an early musical mood with the main titles, which supply adequate instrumentation, carrying throughout the picture. Dialogue exchanges aren't pronounced, but intelligibility isn't an issue with strange accents and comedic speeds. Atmospherics are generally thick, but city visits detail group activity satisfactorily. Damage isn't detected.

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (21:35, SD) is a 2003 featurette that discusses "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" with a few creative and publicity participants, along with composer Patrick Williams and co-star Richard Hatch. Production details aren't inspected in full, with most of the discussion aimed toward the newness of Michelle Pfeiffer and the gentlemanly ways of Peter Ustinov, who had an innate ability to charm and a true sense of professionalism.

• T.V. Spot #1 (:32, SD) and T.V. Spot #2 (:32, SD) are offered.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Dragon Queen" doesn't sit still for long, exploding with horse chases and infiltration sequences, and antagonistic banter keeps matters restless enough. It's not a laugh riot, with Donner a bit too permissive with shenanigans, but he handles his cast superbly, with Hatch a real surprise as he digs into his role as a Jewish/Chinese detective who can't get his act together. While Ustinov dominates with stillness and sniper-like line readings, Hatch carries the broadness quite well, matched comfortably with Pfeiffer, who's willing to dive headfirst into craziness as well. "Charlie Chan and the Dragon Queen" may seem like an offensive resurrection of a dated character and woeful casting practices, but it doesn't unfold angrily, maintaining significant spirit as it fiddles around with the detective genre and Chan's legacy. It's not a feature worth getting upset over, as the movie's biggest offenses are found with missed opportunities for laughs, not racial stereotyping.