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The Scorpion King (Widescreen Collector's Edition) Customer Reviews (37 - 39 of 42 Reviews)

Not that The Rock has to carry the whole movie on his own considerable shoulders. The bad-guy king (Steven Brand) who The Rock is sent to assasinate and his sorceress (Kelly Hu) are also good in their roles, as is The Rock's sidekick (unfortunately I don't know the actor's name) who provides some comic relief, much in the same way that R2D2 and C3PO did in the first Star Wars movie (actually Lucas got the idea for the comic pair from one of Kurosawa's movies).

The swordplay and fight scenes are top-notch. And speaking of swordplay, big guy Michael Clarke Duncan also has an important role as the Nubian king, and his fight with the Rock is one of the climaxes of the movie, as he almost beats The Rock in a dramatic mano-a-mano sword battle. I'm not sure there were black Nubians, who were well-known in Roman times after the emperor Octavian conquered North Africa, living in Sumeria in 4000 BC, when the Akkadians lived in ancient Sumeria, but as I said, I don't really analyze movies like this too much. It gets in the way of the fun.

I don't know what ancient Akkadian or Sumerian sets would look like, either, but these seemed pretty realistic to me and added to the movie's overall ambience. (I'm sure King Sargon of Akkad would have approved even if they weren't--after all, the Akkadians haven't gotten much play in about 4000 years). This sort of action movie plays very well on the Big Screen, and I'm sure I enjoyed seeing it more in a theater as opposed to seeing it on TV.

All in all, a fun way to spend a Sat. or Sun. afternoon or evening. Big Steve says goes see it and don't "Bogart" the popcorn.

The Moose Hole - 'King' Shows Strength but Faulters
Here's a real brain teaser for you: The Scorpion King is the prequel to the sequel to the remake of The Mummy. Confused yet? Let's hope not but if so then let's break it down for you. The Scorpion King is the new star vehicle for former WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock played a small role in The Mummy Returns, which was a sequel to The Mummy. The Mummy was a remake of the original mummy movie series from the 1950's. Got it? With that cleared up, a new question of why they would make a spin-off to The Rock's character emerges. The Rock has become a very popular "actor" in recent years, coming a far way from his early years in the wrestling ring, and Universal Pictures believe a good mint could be made off that popularity. If Dwayne Johnson plays his cards correctly, he could be the next Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger of action films.

The story centers on a leader of a band of assassins, who is hired to kill an important royal figure but gets more in this job then anybody bargained for. Mathayus, the last of a fleeting group of assassins, is hired by the leaders of rebel tribes to kill a sorcerer they believe their enemy is using to help him conquer the lands of Egypt. He accepts the job and arrives in the city of Gomorrah but when he realizes that the sorcerer is a beautiful woman, plans change quickly. He chooses to kidnap her instead of an assassination thus forcing the evil tyrant to bring everything he's got into a final confrontation between the remaining rebel tribes and ruling forces. Stephen Sommer was the director of the previous Mummy films but choose not to direct this spin-off feature and the pacing of this film showcases that. Though critics hammered The Mummy films for being hookie and cheesy, they never said once that they were not consistent. This is a problem that The Scorpion King never seems to solve as moments of romance and hilarity seem forced compared to the non-stop action sequences that work so well.

The relatively small cast for The Scorpion King can only be described at meeting some expectations but not exceeding them if they some members even get to that level. This is the first major leading role for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and surely won't be his last, at least based on the action sequences. The role of Mathayus (aka The Scorpion King) seems specifically designed for the former wrestler as he fits extremely well into the character though there aren't many well designed sequences to showcase his true acting chops. But then again, do you really expect those kinds of sequences in action flicks? Kelly Hu, who plays Cassandra, seems, at times, too confined into the typical woman role in action films but does get involved in some of the fight sequences, which is a welcomed change in Hollywood today. The remainder of the cast worked well together but not great.

Overall, The Scorpion King, with its flashes of skin and heavy metal music, will no doubt satisfy the hardcore action freaks but will leave others starving. Unlike the previous Mummy films, The Scorpion King suffers in the story department as the story seems too caught up with the action sequences to makes the rest of the film as consistent. The film will no doubt bring out fans of action flicks as well as fans of The Rock and they will get everything they are looking for. But women and those who care more about the story then the action may find it on the bland side of things. If you are looking for a decent feature to start off your summer then hold your money for Spider-Man.

If Action Has a Name, it's "The Scorpion King"
The movie is definitely not a contender for an Oscar (nor a history lesson), but if an action category should ever become a venue on Oscar night, "The Scorpion King" would rule them all. It makes no apologies for its larger-than-life extravagant storytelling--its roots is the oft-maligned action genre, and yet it's the most lucrative and universal Pictures cinematic vehicle for any movie house.

The sweeping story is not overwrought and complex, but a simple effective tale of a hired warrior-assassin of a fabled ancient world ("the Rock", Dwayne Johnson) who, in his journey of revenge and self-discovery, collaborates with an alluring and enigmatic sorceress who receives visions of the future (Kelly Hu), a horse thief who becomes an amiable comedy relief and sidekick (Grant Heslov), a witty wise man of science who meddles with contraptions and inventions that prove beneficial (Bernard Hill ), a rival warrior-king whose strongarm and rebellious spirit paves the way for a bittersweet alliance (Michael Clarke Duncan), all to overthrow a ruthless visionary meglomaniac who desires world order from the savage chaos of the past by means of terror and bloodshed (Steve Brand.) Added to the mix of action-heavy swordplay and mayhem, comedy and romance spice up the vivid colorful scenes and sounds and music that ensnare the imagination and make this mythic world seem plausible. All the cast are top-notch and appropiate for their roles in this action yarn, even the Rock whose charisma, presence, and voice surprisingly provide a convincing personality and life to his titular role. All in all, the movie delivers on its promise--a rollicking action rollercoaster!

Finally, the widescreen DVD is a gem, with great color transfer and rich Dolby sound, and Universal doesn't scrimp with the extras. Commentaries by the director Chuck Russell provide engrossing insights on the making of the film, with a plethora of thoughts, considerations, and musings. The Rock also takes a stab at commentaries with his personal view and humor. Other features include alternate versions of key deleted scenes, funny and amusing outtakes, preparation and execution of fight sequences, production designing an authentic ancient world, special effect magic of key scenes, the casting of animals in the film, and more.

If action has a name, it's "The Scorpion King."