The Scorpion King (2002)

Directed by: Chuck Russell | 92 minutes | action, thriller, adventure, romance, fantasy | Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Bernard Hill, Grant Heslov, Peter Facinelli, Ralf Moeller, Branscombe Richmond, Roger Rees, Sherri Howard, Conrad Roberts, Joseph Ruskin, Esteban Cueto, Nils Allen Stewart, Scott L. Schwartz, Andre Henschel, Michael Hilow, Nick Hermz, Wesley John, Michelle Baney, Barry Kramer, Marissa McMahon, Tim Iannello, KD Aubert, Sonia Vera, Angelica Castro, Tutu Sweeney, Yuki Tokuhiro, Te’Amir Sweeney

After his cameo in the successful ‘The Mummy Returns’ (2001), it was high time for the real acting debut of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. His character the Scorpion King got his own movie that tells the story prior to ‘The Mummy Returns’ (2001) (a prequel to a sequel actually). Mind you, here ‘The Scorpion King’ is of course not an enemy like in ‘The Mummy Returns’ (2001) but a great hero. ‘The Scorpion King’ (2002) is primarily a showcase for the physical and acting talents of the seven-time World Wrestling Entertainment champion. After Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Van Damme, a new action hero has emerged who can also act properly in addition to fighting.

The Rock is Mathayus, one of the last of the Akkadians, highly feared assassins. When his brother Jesup, (Branscombe ‘Six Killer’ Richmond from the TV series “”Renegade””) is murdered by tyrant Memnon, he seeks revenge. Steven Brand gives good shape to this Memnon. His sword and fighting skills are convincing, he offers a good counterbalance to ‘The Rock’. Memnon’s right-hand man is Thorak, actor Ralf Moeller (“Gladiator”), strange to hear such a strong German accent in an Egyptian soldier. Bernard Hill is best known as King Theoden from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and provides the merry-go-round as mad inventor, along with Grant Heslov who takes on the role of Arpid the horse thief. So the humor is pretty good, especially thanks to the faithful lama on which Mathayus rides.

Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile”) has a supporting role as Balthazar, leader of another free people. He gets little to do, although his disguise as a woman is very nice. The beautiful Kelly Hu plays the seer Cassandra, a prisoner of Memnon. It’s a shame she can’t fight like in ‘X2′, but maybe that would be too much. Plus, her power comes more from the magic she uses. The many stunts and fight scenes are of course spectacular with cool choreography and razor sharp swords. There’s a lot of action, especially in the desert during a sandstorm and in the palace building of Gomorrah. In combat, The Rock is more athletic and agile than other action heroes who need more of their fists. That makes it fun to watch.

All the action is accompanied by nice heavy rock music. Sometimes bits of The Rock’s rise music from his wrestling days can be heard. The plot is predictable and not particularly original after ‘The Mummy’ series and similar adventure films. Costumes and decor are beautifully done, especially Kelly Hu’s attire. For those who can’t get enough of the ‘Scorpion King’, you can watch the lesser ‘Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior’ (2008) before or after. That adventure goes back even further to the childhood of Mathayus, but without ‘The Rock’. Finally, with his charm and humor, The Rock’ is an actor who can carry this film with ease. That fact, the humor and all the spectacles make ‘The Scorpion King’ very easy to digest for the viewers.