This movie was nostalgic and silly when it came out in 1981 and its eccentric charm has only increased with the years. It's a send-up and a tribute to the old 1930's/40's Charlie Chan films, and I believe that casting the sly, satirical Peter Ustinov to play the lead was a clever parody of the old movies' tone-deaf casting of a non-Asian actor.
It's also very sweet to watch Michelle Pfeiffer back when she was an ingenue!!
Perfect popcorn late-night flick!