Customer Reviews

Operation Scorpio

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(70)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

I went into "The Scorpion King" with pretty low expectations. Being a lover of the first two "Mummy" films, I was terribly disappointed, like many, to learn that the next film in the series would be a prequel and not involve the usual charming cast of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. I also went in expecting The Rock to be boring, cheesy, and annoying. It seemed to me that "The Scorpion King" would serve one purpose, to show off The Rock's fighting ability (like we don't know already).

Boy was I wrong! "The Scorpion King" turned out to be a top quality action flick! It was funny and filled with plenty of the witty humor that made "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" such enjoyable films. The story was actually quite exciting and involving, quite the opposite of what I expected!

Believe it or not, The Rock was oddly charming in his role as Mathayus, The Scorpion King. I actually ended up really loving him! Mathayus's jittery sidekick, Arpid (Grant Heslov) steals the show! Heslov is so charming and utterly hilarious, it's almost as if he was made for this role! My only complaint as far as acting goes is that of Kelly Hu, who plays the sorceress (and Mathayus's love interest). Her lines were cheesy to begin with, but an actress of greater talent could've delivered them with more enthusiasm and character.

The movie begins rather unimpressively with Mathayus rescuing his brother from some barbaric enemies. The fight sequence was fantastic, but what really turned me off about this scene (and made me question how good the rest of the film would be) was when Mathayus came barreling in to save his brother with his bow in hand and said "Boo" and everyone started screaming. Come on; how cheesy and clichéd is that line? Thank God the rest of the movie isn't like that!

Here's a quick summarization of the plot:

Mathayus is hired by a band of rebels to murder the wizard who is helping the evil Memnon win battles by seeing into the future for him. Mathayus is set on completing his mission until he sees the wizard, who is actually the beautiful witch Cassandra. Because of Mathayus's hesitation, Memnon's guards capture him and are about to kill him when Cassandra announces that she has had a vision and he is not to die by "Memnon's hand or any that he orders". Yeah, right. The movie takes off from there.

Yes, this movie is dumb and ridiculous, but it somehow manages to rise above that to bring us a truly enjoyable film.

"The Scorpion King" is short but sweet, running at a convenient 90 minutes.

Rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of action violence and some sensuality". Would be acceptable for around 10 and up.

When WWF superstar 'The Rock' decided to use his worldwide wrestling stardom as a segue into acting it was an enormous risk that paid off in 'The Mummy returns', but now it's time for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to step out in his own film, a prequel to the 'Mummy', 'The Scorpion' king.

The film was released on the 17th April in Australia and I had the chance to catch the first session in the country, and I have to admit I was very exited. I mean who wouldn't be? 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy Returns' that have been dubbed `silly' by many were I feel two fabulous films. A wonderful mixture of action, comedy, romance and overall fun. 'The Scorpion King' follows this same formula, but misses the mark ever so slightly and thus loses marks in my books.

The film takes place before any of the pyramids have been built, back in the ancient land where warlord Memnon has conquered all the lands of the Old Kingdom, and where few people stand to fight his forces. When the scorpion king and his brother are sent to assassinate Memnon's sorcerer (who provides much of his power) they are caught and the scorpion king's brother is killed. This needless to say makes him very mad, and yearning for revenge. The story from here takes a turn when the scorpion king kidnaps the sorceress and consequently they fall in love.

The biggest plus the film offers is the amazing fight scenes, which are some of the best seen in a long time. In fact for a movie that has a run time of 110 minutes, probably 40 minutes of this is just the fighting. Wrestling fans may perhaps be disappointed that 'The Rock' doesn't do one 'Rock Bottom' or a 'People's elbow' is the course of the film, but in my mind this may have made the film feel a little hokey, relying on the wrestling angle too much.

So where does the problem fit in? Well 'The Scorpion King' isn't directed by Stephen Sommers (director of 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy returns') and believes me it shows. The screenplay has all the wit and sparkle the other films had, but often the directing lets it down, at times making the story line fit into the action, rather than the other way around. Occasionally the film suffers for this.

'The Rock' Dwayne Johnson puts in a commanding performance as 'The Scorpion King' and in my mind his style can be likened to Arnold Schwartzenegger, hey, lets not forget just as 'The Rock' is using wrestling as his foot in the door Arnie did the same with his bodybuilding. His characterization is commanding and his knowledge of choreographed action is visible, as the fight scenes are some of the best around. It also need to be seen the Michael Clarke Duncan ('The Green Mile') playing Balthazar is hilarious, I mean the guy is 'The Rock's' biggest fan in real life and here they are fighting together.

Arguably the most popular character in the other two films was Jonathan (John Hannah) in 'The Scorpion King' the character is rehashed in the form of an all but nameless horse thief. Admittedly the character is hilarious, but on occasion his quips fall a little flat, plus part of Jonathan's charm in the other films is his flawed British attitude towards life.

While 'The Scorpion King' lacks some of the charm 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy returns' possessed the film is nevertheless competent. The fight scenes are amazing and it easily holds up to any other action film out there. Even more so the film may serve Vince McMahon (executive producer) a way to gain some of his lost funds after the failure of XFL. This film is one that has to be watched in order to see the first major work of one of the futures greatest action stars in Dwayne Johnson. Overall a 3.5 star film.

I went into this movie cold. I had no idea who "The Rock" was (I'd read about him, but somehow did not connect him with this film) I did not know "The Scorpion King" was supposed to be a prequel of the Mummy movies, neither of which I had seen. So me and my popcorn had a clear, unbiased mind.

The setting is long, long ago. Gommorah is still in business and gunpowder has yet to be invented. Arkkadian Assassin Mathayus (the Rock) has been hired to kill a sorcerer whose predictions are far too dependable. Mathayus' brother is tortured to death, and he vows revenge. When he discovers the sorcerer is a gorgeous young lady in a harem costume, he "liberates" her. His steed is a camel, the odds against him are never less than 50 to 1, and he lays them out like dominoes. After 90 minutes of mayhem, the good guys win the kingdom, the castle and the babe.

Dwayne Johnson was a charmer in this potboiler. He has almost too good a sense of humor (I thought he was going to crack up a few times over his ridiculous lines. Shades of Crosby and Hope in a "Road" picture!) His face is expressive, his movements agile, and he is definitely eye candy. I wish him well in a movie career. I think he would be a fine action hero. I felt sorry for his sidekick, Philos (Bernard Hill). The script was so bad that the feeble jokes he was forced to utter wouldn't get a giggle out of a pre-schooler. With the exception of a few reprehensible villains and mighty Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan), the cast was uniformly beautiful right down to the starving children.

The action is non-stop, so time passes quickly and all in all, I had a good time. "The Scorpion King" makes a good non-think rental. Laugh along with The Rock.
-sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer

If you liked Kull the Conqueror, I am sure you will enjoy the Scorpion King. It has a lot of the same tongue in cheek action/comedy elements. In theory it is a prequel to The Mummy Returns, although the connection is week. It is not as over the top and action packed as The Mummy Returns, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Wrestling superstar, The Rock, plays Matthias the Acadian who is a pretty dangerous fellow. The opening sequence was incredible - Matthias rescues his brother from the evil horde of crooked-teeth-folks single handedly. The bow that fires five arrows at once and knocks the people halfway across their camp was just what I was hoping to see. Unfortunately this same type of action is really not repeated later in the movie, it tends to get more realistic (hah, I feel ashamed for saying that, but note the use of the word more). Also, I have to admire the ancient sub-bikini styles and technology. From what I saw, modern times have really lost a lot in that area.

If you are looking for some good old fashioned entertainment, then I find no shortcomings in this movie. If you are looking for high drama or an intriguing plot, look elsewhere.

I liked this movie for its action and ancient civilization plot. I could care less if anything is historically accurate. I like the tough characters, the plot of betrayal, the oppression of the weak. My only criticism of this movie is that many people, especially The Rock, act too modern. Many commanding people have to appear strong, tough, and superior. The actor who plays Memnon, the bad guy, does a good job at this.

I enjoyed this movie. I've read some of the other reviews here, and some people have criticized the movie for being overly cliched and predictable. No doubt some people will say that the movie serves up its hunk of beefcake in all-too-predictable a fashion (don't you hate smart-assed reviewers who take themselves all too seriously?). But come on folks, this sort of action-packed thriller isn't meant to be analyzed or dissected in too much detail--it's meant to be fun, mindless entertainment--and in that regard, it succeeds very well. I was also pleasantly surprised to find The Rock (pro-wrestler Dwayne Johnson) has considerable on-screen presence, as he goes around offing bad guys right and left.

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.

King Memnon-with the aid of his sorceress, Cassandra, who has the ability to foretell the future-steadily conquers the world of southern Egypt in 3000 BC. Defeated and driven before him, the various tribes and smaller nations face imminent extinction or subjugation before the ferocious army Memnon controls. Every day brings more bloodthirsty warriors to fight under Memnon's standard. In a last-chance bid to stand against the cruel king, one of the tribal elders hires a trio of the last Akkadian mercenary warriors. For the blood price offered, the Akkadians agree to steal into Memnon's city and assassinate the king's sorceress. Getting into the city is dangerous work, but Mathayus and his companions manage-only to be betrayed. Just as Memnon is about to put Mathayus to death, the sorceress interrupts. She says that Mathayus can't be killed by the king's hand or one of his men. Instead, Mathayus ends up staked out in the desert, up to his jaw in sand as dreaded fire ants are riled from their holes. Knowing the fire ants will kill him and eat the flesh from his bones, Mathayus makes a deal with a horse thief to free him. Once loose, Mathayus returns to Memnon's city ready to wreak unholy vengeance. However, fate conspires against the Akkadian warrior, and before he can take down Memnon, he must find and raise an army of his own.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a legend among WWF fans, but he's also starred in THE MUMMY RETURNS, setting up the role he plays in THE SCORPION KING. The Rock has also made guest appearances on STAR TREK: VOYAGER, THAT `70S SHOW, and THE NET. Michael Clark Duncan got an award nomination for his stint as John Coffey in THE GREEN MILE, but got his start bodyguarding stars and musicians. He's also been in PLANET OF THE APES and ARMAGEDDON, and has the role of the Kingpin in the upcoming DAREDEVIL movie. Versed in the martial arts, Kelly Hu got her start as Melia in GROWING PAINS, then had roles in FRIDAY THE 13th PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, THE DOORS, then recurring roles on NASH BRIDGES and MARTIAL LAW, and has a role in the upcoming X-MEN 2.

As an action-adventure flick goes, THE SCORPION KING sings with violence, amazing fight choreography, and splendor that would rival an Old Hollywood period piece. The Rock comes across very believably as Mathayus, one of the last Akkadian mercenary warriors, and a solid romantic lead. His swordplay gleams and flashes, and his hand-to-hand combat are top-notch from all the WWF battles he's had. The opening montage of action to set the movie into play is a blistering riff of everything the viewer has in store. Kelly Hu, barely dressed throughout the movie, is simply gorgeous and carries her role as Cassandra easily, layering her performances in so that she underscores the action and the emotion. Grant Heslov-playing Arpid, a horse-thief-steals the show upon occasion much as did Kevin J. O'Connor in THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS. The pacing of the movie remains frenetic throughout, driving the viewer from one incredible scene to another. Filmed entirely on location in California and in sound stages at Universal Studios in Burbank, THE SCORPION KING is a feast for the eyes, holding settings that look like they were only recently uncovered from the desert. The final battle between hero and villain is awesome, captivating with intensity, and fraught with some real peril (The Rock actually had his eyebrows singed when the flaming swords got too close to him, as revealed in the DVD features).

Well done as the movie is, there were a couple of spots that needed better editing. Viewers never find out how Arpid escaped from the sand when he was buried up to his neck, and during the climb up the side of the building in Chapter 16, the wire-walking was entirely too obvious because the Rock's body remained too far out. It would have been nice to see Kelly Hu kick (literally) loose with the martial arts she made look so good in MARTIAL LAW. Also missing from the story (although it was deliberately done, according to director Chuck Russell), is a supernatural overtone. Magic actually played a very small part in the overall scheme of things.

THE SCORPION KING is an absolute must for the action-adventure fan, as well as people who loved the first two MUMMY movies starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Anyone looking for a solid popcorn movie, a no-brainer that has action, thrills, and a good-natured sense of itself, can slip this DVD into the player and enjoy.

The Rock may be the next Arnold Schwartznegger! To my surprise, the Rock is charismatic, well-spoken and will probably go far as an action movie hero. My children and I, who are fans of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, loved this movie also. The storyline wasn't too bad, the special effects were good, not too much blood and gore, the dialogue was decent, the humor was pretty good and The Rock was convincing.

Lets go back to December when I first found out that "The Scorpion King" was in production. I thought, "How stupid. But just cause its a mummy movie and The Rock's gonna be in it...it's worth my 5 bucks." I expected the movie to be cheesy and pathetic. I thought "What next? A movie called Imhotep?" Then I read the book. Holy cow I was blown away! The story was awesome, exciting, and gave me many laughs. I read it in one night. Although the book has a slight edge over the movie, the movie was great. Action-packed. Oh, and it has the greatest fight scene I've ever seen in a movie between Mathayus (The Rock) and Balthzar (Michael Clark Duncan). But I think this is nothing like the Mummy movies. It's a whole new story, a whole new ball game. There's no computer generated Scorpion King and the special effects...well, there really wasn't any special effects which makes the movie very coool and unique. ACTION PACKED FUN!

There was obviously a lot put into this movie to try and make it a blockbuster, money, resources, etc., but the thing that hurts this movie the most is The Rocks' inability to act. I know he's popular, and very charismatic, but these qualities will only get you so far, and I think he was in way over his head. In the sequel to The Mummy, we saw him for a brief time and he had little or no dialogue, and it worked. Here, I just had a hard time believing that he was the character he was trying to play, and not just some professional wrestler transplanted into role that demanded more acting ability. There were some exciting parts in the movie, but overall I just got really bored. If you really want to see an excellent movie of this genre, go get Conan the Barbarian. This one is pretty much a stinkeroo, albeit a slick and glossy stinkeroo. This is one of those movies I wished I would have rented it before buying it, but I guess I got suckered in by all the hype..