The Two Jakes

Name: The Two Jakes
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Comedy, Crime
Released: August 10, 1990
Duration: 137 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Jack Nicholson

1990

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Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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The Two Jakes

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: August 10, 1990 | R

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Jack Nicholson

Summary: It's 1948 and private eye Jake Gittes is still in Los Angeles in this sequel to "Chinatown."

Director: Jack Nicholson

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Comedy, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 137 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

It's an exquisite short story about a mood, and a time, and a couple of guys who are blind-sided by love. Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

This is a worthy successor to Chinatown - full of ecological and geological insights into Los Angeles history that recall Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald and give a view of southern California that could have been conceived only by a native. Read full review

Sheila Benson

A lovingly assembled cast in a brilliantly detailed production, with special notice to Vilmos Zsigmond's haunting cinematography, which seems somehow to have captured the light as it was, pre-smog. [10 Aug 1990]

Jay Scott

The Two Jakes itself is less tragic than petulant, mired in a self-pitying remembrance of things past. [10 Aug 1990]

Peter Travers

Towne doesn't weave all the elements as deftly as before, and his political observations seem secondhand. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

This oft-delayed sequel proves a jumbled, obtuse yet not entirely unsatisfying follow-up to Chinatown, rightly considered one of the best films of the 1970s. Read full review

Hal Hinson

What The Two Jakes makes us long for most is the earlier film. Read full review

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User Reviews

eva3si0n

Apr 2, 2018

Continuation of the excellent movie Chinese quarter. The modern history is much simpler and more boring. And the movie from interesting characters except Nicholson only Harvey Keitel. And he isn't enough in a shot. As the sequel the movie isn't bad, but as it the independent work is veryContinuation of the excellent movie Chinese quarter. The modern history is much simpler and more boring. And the movie from interesting characters except Nicholson only Harvey Keitel. And he isn't enough in a shot. As the sequel the movie isn't bad, but as it the independent work is very mediocre. It should be looked only if you lacked acting of the detective in Chinatown.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

HotelCentral

Dec 3, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Roger Ebert said that every scene in this film falls into place like clockwork. How he came to that conclusion I have no idea. My own reaction is closer to that of Variety, which described the film as an obtuse jumble.

Spoiler alert: If I understand the plot correctly,a woman goes to bed with a man in order to provide her husband with a legal justification for killing the man. And, okay, there are women in the world who might do that, but I'd have to say that they're far enough out of the mainstream that if you want me to believe it then you better show me some proof that your character is that kind of a woman.

All in all, the film is tolerably entertaining, but not by much.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

tropicAces

Aug 19, 2020

I love CHINATOWN, and this script has a few great exchanges that made the first film so iconic, but it just all seems so pointless...

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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