The Scorpion King
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Chuck Russell |
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| Distributor | Universal Studios |
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| There’s nothing original in The Scorpion King, but this derivative action franchise gets off to a rousing start by cleverly stealing from a lot of better movies. Capitalizing on his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. World Wrestling Federation star the Rock) stars as Mathayus, an Akkadian assassin in the age preceding Egyptian pharaohs, who vows to avenge his brother’s murder by an undefeated warlord (Steven Brand) prophesied to become the desert-ruling Scorpion King. Their battle for supremacy comprises most of the film’s… | |
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
There’s nothing original in The Scorpion King, but this derivative action franchise gets off to a rousing start by cleverly stealing from a lot of better movies. Capitalizing on his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. World Wrestling Federation star the Rock) stars as Mathayus, an Akkadian assassin in the age preceding Egyptian pharaohs, who vows to avenge his brother’s murder by an undefeated warlord (Steven Brand) prophesied to become the desert-ruling Scorpion King. Their battle for supremacy comprises most of the film’s brisk 95-minute running time, punctuated by comic relief from Mathayus’s obligatory sidekick (Grant Heslov), romance with a beautiful sorceress (Kelly Hu), and alliance with a massive Nubian (Michael Clarke Duncan) on the eve of their climactic showdown. There’s no rhyme or reason to the film’s depiction of ancient civilization (the costuming is particularly ludicrous), but the Rock demonstrates adequate action-star potential, and director Chuck Russell (The Mask) wraps it all in a slick, professional package. —Jeff Shannon
Barnes and Noble
The latest in a long line of professional athletes to make the leap to action-movie heroism, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson makes a sensational starring debut in this rousing, opulent adventure set in ancient times. In the days before Egypt built the great pyramids and established its empire, the far-flung desert tribes face conquest by the evil king Memnon (Steven Brand), whose campaign is guided by the prophetic visions of the sorceress Cassandra (Kelly Hu). The worried tribesmen band together and hire freebooting mercenary Mathayus (The Rock) to assassinate the sorceress and bring Memnon down, but destiny has something else in store for the indomitable warrior. A prequel of sorts to The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King fleshes out the character introduced in the former film, and employs the same savory mix of sword-and-sorcery ingredients that helped catapult Arnold Schwarzenegger to stardom in the Conan movies. The Rock, accomplished through years of mugging for the WWE’s cameras, is actually a better actor than Arnold, and very nearly as charismatic; moreover, his eye-popping physique and athletic ability make him perfectly believable in the numerous, well-choreographed battle scenes. Director Chuck Russell (Bless the Child) knows exactly what he’s doing here. Little attention is paid to maintaining historical accuracy and credibility, but the occult trappings and countless feats of derring-do keep Scorpion King on the move at all times—which is precisely what fans appreciate. The DVD edition features a commentary by Russell, two behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, DVD-ROM features, and a preview of The Rock’s upcoming movie, Helldorado. Ed Hulse
