The Scorpion King (2002)
Director: Chuck Russell
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
In terms of milking a cash cow, this spin-off, inspired by the appearance of WWF wrestling star The Rock in Stephen Sommers' The Mummy Returns, is hard to beat. But it's mindlessly entertaining, all the same. It's produced and co-scripted by Sommers, ensuring it looks good and doesn't take itself seriously. Five thousand years ago, and evil ruler Memnon (Brand), aided by the accurate premonitions of his beautiful Sorceress (Hu), is on a roll, his vast armies annihilating all before them. What he hasn't banked on is Mathayus (The Rock), one of the last remaining members of the extinct Akkadians tribe and a dab hand with a bow and arrow. In true WWF fashion, the action here is relentless. Just as well, because The Rock isn't the most eloquent of talkers. Director Russell, meanwhile, keeps matters rollicking, but it's wall to wall hokum nevertheless. Move over, Arnie, there's a new barbarian in town.Author: DA
Cast & crew
Director: Chuck Russell
Producer: Stephen Sommers, Sean Daniel, James Jacks, Kevin Misher
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Bernard Hill, Grant Heslov, Peter Facinelli, Ralph Moeller, Michael Clark Duncan, Branscombe Richmond, Roger Rees, Sherri Howard full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Duration: 91 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
To the letter
Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.
Mind over matter
David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.
Fool's gold
Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.
We are the championed
Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."
A history of violence
Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.
True romantic
James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.
Playing in the dark
MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.
Junk bonds
Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.



What do you think?
Post your review now