Following up on my last movie review of “The Mummy Returns” is a review of the
2002 action adventure “The Scorpion King”.
Universal had struck gold with their Blockbuster "Mummy" franchise, and an idea was floating around the studio to
expand on its Egyptian setting with movies revolving around other characters
from the Mummy universe. With the
advent of “The Avengers”, Cinematic
Universes are all the craze now, but back in the early 2000’s, this concept was
bold and new. I have to admit, this was a really cool idea to expand on the
Universe of “The Mummy”, and it
opened the door for some potentially cool films. “The Scorpion King” is a spin-off movie of the character featured briefly
in the opening of “The Mummy Returns”.
The trailer for “The Scorpion King” got
me really excited, like this was going to be a modern day “Conan the Barbarian” but with the epic size of something like “Gladiator”. The result is a film that
didn’t really live up to the hype, has little to nothing in common with “The Mummy”, but I find it a mostly fun sword & sandal adventure.
I'm personally a
sucker for period action-adventure films of this sort, and the film isn’t
without some charm, but I’ll talk more about that in a moment. Set some time
before the creation of the pyramids, a malevolent horde has taken over the land,
and their leader Memnon rules the people with an iron fist. The big ace up his sleeve
is a mystical sorceress that can foretell that outcome of every battle. The last
surviving group of rebels decide to send a mighty assassin named Mathayus to
slay the enchantress in hopes to give them a winning edge. Unfortunately, Mathayus is
betrayed, and his brother is executed by Memnon himself. Now, Mathayus is out
for vengeance, but finds aid though the very sorceress he intended to kill. So, the two set off on a quest to free the people of the kingdom, and end the sinister
rain of King Memnon.
In short, it’s a
basic action revenge plot, but it really has no direct lead into the Scorpion King
character featured in “The Mummy Returns”.
Yes, we see how this assassin becomes a king, but the character’s journey has
nothing to do with the events of the previous film. It doesn’t even feel like
the same character at all.
The titular Scorpion king featured in “The Mummy Returns” was a very ruthless
beast, and a tyrant who would sell his soul to the devil just for a chance to
gain power and vengeance. This Scorpion King named Mathayus is your typical
cocky hero who drops one liners, has a personality, dose heroic things, and
nothing makes me believe that he’ll become the villain from the established film. He doesn't even do anything scorpion related that would lead to his title. There's a scene in which he's injected with scorpion venom, but it's a very short scene, and doesn't really do anything in the long-run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played the Scorpion King in both movies, and while certainly not his best role, it's the character I mentally associate with the actor first. It's great that his career has expanded to the point where he's become a decades Arnold Schwarzenegger, with a charm and screen presence that's all his own. So, there's a special novelty in this character being the one to start it all.
It should be
noted that the name of the character is actually a reference to a historical
king of the Protodynastic Period of Egypt named King Scorpion. Don’t expect the
film to have much historical significance beyond that. Actually the film has
several small gaps in historical logic that I always take note of. For example,
all the swords featured in this film are made out of steel, which contradicts
the opening prologue that the film is set “Before the time of the Pyramids”. The
earliest known production of steel is nearly 4000 years old, where the Pyramids
are over 5000 years old. Supposedly this film is set around 3200 BC, which would
put this somewhere in-between the “Bronze Area” and the “Iron Age” of swords. Then
again, everything in this film is very artificial. No-one looks like a product
of the time period, and there’s a lot of modern talk. The film is also set in
the city of Gomorrah, which along with Sodom is mentioned in the “Book of Genesis”
and all throughout the Hebrew Bible. I wish the film could have spent time developing
this city and its heritage, but it’s quietly glanced over, and just becomes a
typical location to set the adventure in.
Obviously the
main point of the film isn’t to educate, but to entertain with a non-stop supply
of action scenes.
Seriously, right from the start this film hits you with
action, and more action. Personally, I like the variety in which the fights
come at us, and each battle lasts just long enough without getting repetitive. The movie also has a perfect run time that's under 2 hours, which is a breath of fresh air now days. While
it’s consistently entertaining, there aren’t any stand out action scenes that
really “wow me” either, that is with the exception of the ending, but I’ll get
to that later. I think the film is very self aware of what kind of film it is.
It’s not pretending to be a great epic like “Braveheart”, but it doesn’t quiet reach the same entertaining
heights of “300” either. I will say
that I like the overall style and feel of the movie. It’s definitely cheesy,
and mostly over the top, but in just the right way where it becomes a style. If
you look at modern day adventure movies of this sort like “Clash of the Titans”, “Prince
of Persia: The Sands of Time”, “Immortals”
and “Gods of Egypt”, their all so
overly stylized, pretentiously artsy, and are polluted with over the top CGI
monsters. “The Scorpion King” by comparison
is actually quiet tame, yet over the top in just the right amounts. I like that
all the action is in front of the camera, with close quarter combat, and love when both the set and props are integrated into the fight choreography. The special effects are used very
sparingly for little things like a swarm of fire ants and a sand storm. Some of the comedy is too modern for it's own good, but there are some select moments which are legitimately funny. The stand out funny moment involves a kid at a wishing well ... I'd better leave it at that. I also
like that the magical elements are toned down, and are only associated with the Sorceress. The Sorceress has the power to
see visions of the future, and these lead to some eerie atmospheric scenes that
are shot beautifully. Aside from that, it’s good old fashion sword play, and it’s
so welcome in this day and age.
Now, let’s talk
about the absolute best thing in the film, and that’s Kelly Hu as the Sorceress.
Holly cow, back in the early 2000’s Kelly Hu was like a Goddess among mortal
actresses ... well, okay, that’s just how I viewed her.
All joking and insanely
good looks aside, this is actually a fairly strong female lead. In fact, she
was so good at holding her own, that I honestly don’t know if I could call her
a typical damsel in distress. Her arc, while under developed was laced with a
lot of potential, and we do get spades of some terrific character traits. As
stated in the synopsis, she had the power to read the future and ever sense she
was a child, she was used as a weapon for her evil master. Mid way through the
film she escaped her tower only to find herself in a different kind of cage. Along
the journey she witnesses kindness and respect in others, but was also aware
that her absence would lead to the deaths of innocent lives. Then after losing
her power, she willingly goes back to her evil master to prevent him from
committing mass murder in the process of looking for her. She also
gets to shine in the action scenes, and while not a total bad-ass, she can
clearly take care of herself. I really wish this film spent more time
developing the Sorceress because I felt that she had potential to be a really
great character rather than just a better than average damsel stereotype.
Bottom line, she may not be the greatest female lead in the world, but she made
for an excellent addition to the film, and by God did she steal the scenery
with her killer good looks.
Steven
Brand plays the villain Memnon, and he does a serviceable job. The villain
himself is nothing original, but he still works, and I like that he’s at odds
with our hero.
The Scorpion King is all mussel and brute strength, while our
villain is smaller and more agile, so they balance out very well. We also have the enjoyably clichéd Evil Henchman, who looks cool, but is taken out in a rather anti climactic way. But the most undermining character of all has to be this evil Prince, who in the beginning of the film betrays our hero, and kills his own father. This character was set up with lots of potential to be a real menacing presence, but he’s just sort of put in the corner, doesn’t do anything, and his comeuppance just isn’t as satisfying as it should be.
There’s
another warrior King named Balthazar who’s played by the late Michael Clarke
Duncan, and he’s great as always. He’s one of those special talents who can
turn anything he touches into gold. His part is admittedly small, but he’s always
committed to a role, and it’s always a treat to see him on screen. One of the films
highlights is when Balthazar gets into a fight with our hero Mathayus
and I get the impression that the two actors were having the time of their
lives while filming this scene. The remaining characters are all very
disposable and just fill in space. There’s a witch doctor played by the great
Bernard Hill, who supplies our hero’s with explosive powder, but does nothing
else beyond that. Grant Heslov is dropped in the film as an annoying comedic side
character, and there’s even a pointless little kid character thrown it just to
be a cute side kick.
While the
action is serviceable at best, it’s at the finale when things get really cool.
Our hero’s mount an Attack on Memnon’s castle, and the last half hour is just one awesome, non-stop action packed
spectacle. Most films of this sort have the exact same climax involving massive
armies (usually over the top CGI) clashing in an open field, and personally I’m
sick of it. This climax is a straight up siege on a castle with some
beautifully choreographed close-quarter fighting, exciting sword play, and a terrific
use of props. It’s such a breath of fresh air, but it’s not without some spectacle
either as we still get big explosions, hot chicks kicking ass, and a nice
variety of different fights in this one big location. The final confrontation
between Mathayus and Memnon is personally one of my favorite Hero/ Villain
duels. Everything in this fight is just fiery blaze, and they cover a lot of
ground too. The fight begins in a throne room, then they work their way out
side to the top of the palace, and the momentum just keeps building and
building. Memnon pulls out two swords that he sets on fire, and there's one
hell of an awesome quire which just adds to the excitement of this duel.
On that note, let’s
quickly talk about the Sound track. Fitting right along with the films style
and tone is a cool instrumental rock theme that plays whenever our hero is on
screen. It’s not the typical theme music you’d here in a sword and sandal
adventure, but it always gets me excited whenever I hear this score. The
individual songs from the movies soundtrack are dated products of the time, with dated artists like Nickelback and Creed, but
I’m a sucker for nostalgia, and still enjoy some of these tunes for
representing a decade. The stand out song titled “I Stand Alone” performed by
Godsmack was one of my favorite heavy rock songs of the early 2000’s, and
always brings to mind fond memories of favorite video games like “Prince of Persia: Warrior Within”. The “I Stand Alone” music video actually felt more like a "Mummy" spin off then “The Scorpion King” movie did, and even featured armies of skeletons coming to life.
The best way to describe “The Scorpion King” is a harmless waste of time. It’s one of those films I can enjoy after a long days work, and I just want to get vegged out on my couch.
Most may call this a forgettable and average film, but even so, this kind of derivative entertainment isn't without it's merits. I of course will remember “The Scorpion King” on some level, mostly due to the amount of times I watched it as a young teenager. There were 4 sequels that followed titled “The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior”, “The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption”, “The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power” and "The Scorpion King: Book of Souls". None of these squeals were released theatrically, and none featured Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprising his signature role. These sequels ranged from un-apologetically stupid and forgettable, to passively fun but still forgettable. If you're curious to just watch one of them, I'd recommend “The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption”, as that one had the best cast, with Ron Perlman, Temuera Morrison, Dave Bautista and Billy Zane all chewing the scenery. It also had the most attractive lead behind Kelly Hu, and even some descent action sequences. Still, it's not high quality entertainment, but a passable one-time viewing.
Thanks for reading my review of the 2002 action movie “The Scorpion King” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love!
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