Putting on THE TWO JAKES, the sequel to CHINATOWN.
Yeah, there was a sequel to CHINATOWN.
By Robert Towne.
Jack Nicholson directed.
Yeah, there was a sequel to CHINATOWN.
By Robert Towne.
Jack Nicholson directed.
Think the Nicholson-directed THE TWO JAKES couldn't be any more of a vanity project? Jack was originally to square off against Robert Evans.
2010s movie stars have quit aging, but CHINATOWN (1974) Jack CHINATOWN vs. THE TWO JAKES (1990) Jack is like the autobahn vs. pothole alley.
Jack Nicholson is one of those actors who had a huge stretch where he couldn't figure out how to use his age at all.
So far THE TWO JAKES kind of feels like somebody tried to do a TV series pilot based on CHINATOWN.
Problem is: in 1990 Jack Nicholson isn't Jack Nicholson anymore. He's ***J A C K.*** And that means he's too big to play a small man.
The best part of this movie so far is a scene where you get to see James Hong and Jack playing off each other. They have lovely chemistry.
But THE TWO JAKES is far far too dependent on your memories of CHINATOWN, without which it is nothing.
Jack's tie may actually be wider than his shirt 
