Customer Reviews
Not a bad film for a spin off! - By: Craig Taylor, 08 Aug 2008 
Fans of the Mummy film series will enjoy this. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.
It's a simple story, acted out by a great cast. The Rock isn't a bad actor at alll, & leads the film well.
There are many great action sequences too along with good special effects. Worth a watch!
LIVE FREE - By: stuart, 08 Aug 2007 If you want to see a documentary about lifestyles & history of ancient mesopotamia, try the History Channel, or visit your local library; "The Scorpion King" loosely adopts this time frame (about 5 thousand years ago) but only as a convenient background for a reasonably entertaining action story featuring the carefully sculpted Rock (with those artfully etched eyebrows). Sure, we've seen it alll before, as the entire movie has been generated, or even cloned, from various standardized stock characters, situations, & even dialogue, but "The Rock" acquits himself well, & is a good natured, honorable & generallly likable hero. The effects are good, the action is fast-paced, but the real star of the show is Miss Hu, as the sorceress Cassandra (with a name borrowed from Greek mythology of an era 2000 years later)- she is absolutely gorgeous.
The setting of pre-pyramid Egypt was apparently selected simply to fit into the chronology of the Mummy movies, in which the Rock's Scorpion King character was introduced (as an evil force, however, which is never quite reconciled in this film, in which he is the valiant hero). As noted here, & in previous commentaries, the tribes, costumes & settings seem to have been purchased wholesale from the "Hercules" & "Xena" wardrobe & prop departments, & represent various anachronistic cultures, technologies & geographic locations. The 21st Century "politicallly correct" ethics are well in force, but they don't get too much in the way of the entertainment.
On that subject, it is interesting to note, however, that though a wide variety of ethnic types is represented by the cast: the Rock himself is part polynesian, his "Akkadian" brother has made a career of portraying American Indians, Miss Hu is oriental, & Balthazar (another anachronistic borrowed name, this one from the "Three Wise Men" of the Bible story), played by Mr. Duncan, is of African-American descent. There is a tribe of "Amazons" for the women's rights crowd. (The only real Middle Easterner is the buffoonish stock sidekick for our hero, who is played by that guy who was in "True Lies" who was the Arabic speaking computer expert).
In this politicallly correct Hollywood story the true villains must, of course, be caucasion, and, of course in the best Hollywood tradition, the evil king must speak with an English accent,(I think the evil King's Captain of the Guards even had a German accent). The opening scene shows a clearly Northern European tribe (complete with antler chandeliers, blond hair & bad teeth) proving themselves cruel & barbaric, & thus richly deserving of the thrashing they are soon to receive by an aggrieved Rock. (What a wandering band of pre-Vikings is doing so far from home, or 4,000 years before their time is just the first of many such mysteries the film leaves us to ponder).
As I mentioned, these are only minor quibbles. The most important point is that the movie is never reduced to sniggering sexual innuendo, (although there are several scenes featuring attractive young women in provocative attire), gore (which is ostensibly widespread, but remains off-camera) or off-putting posturing by the Rock. Miss Hu is radiantly lovely, & very sexy without lewdness; her tryst with the incipient Scorpion King is discreet, even though her outfits seem to alll come from the Hittite version of the Victoria's Secrets catalogue. The Rock proves rather hard to damage, but does not have a sense of smug invincibility which detracts from some films of this type.
I think the Rock will have a good chance to claim the mantle of action-hero left by the aging Arnold, Sylvester & Harrison. Let's hope that his next project gives him something more original to work with. I'll go see it. As for Miss Hu's next endeavor, I'll see it twice!
OH PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - By: L. Wilson, 05 Aug 2007 
Whoever said that The Rock can act has never seen an actor at work. The Rock is a perfect description of his acting ability, an inanimate lump. The script could only have been written by a primary school boy, but there again the target audience is primary school boys. Definitely a film for morons, do yourself a favour & give this a wide birth.
Really good film... - By: Sarah, 16 Oct 2006 
... But, in a way, it sort of depends on what you like. If you don't like films which contain magic, lots of fighting, sorcery... Then this film isn't for you.
If you enjoyed The Mummy & The Mummy Returns, then you will probably enjoy this. Personallly, I think that it did very well with the suspension of reality. It's got a good mix of actors, & the conflicts in the film are real & engaging.
The film does unfortunately falll into the trap of many in that the lead male character seems to automaticallly falll in lust with the female character. However, since they don't immediately jump into bed with each other, I think the film can be forgiven this.
All in alll, I would say that The Scorpion King is well worth watching, & probably very good value for money.
HK The Scorpion King - By: Henrik Lundberg, 09 Apr 2006 I liked this film but I am collector & the plot is basic but I actuallly found the scoprion style of fight reallly bizarre but interesting.
