The Scorpion King
Review
by : Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Starring:
The
Rock, Kelly Hu, Steven Brand
Directed by: Chuck Russell
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The spin off like the sequel has long been a staple of Hollywood.
Simply put, if a show is a success, and if sequels are pending,
then a new creation using situations, characters, or events
from the original may be a success on its own. The practice
has been successful in television, as shows such as "Mork
and Mindy", "Joanie Loves Chachie", and "Laverne and Shirley"
all sprang from the success of "Happy Days". The trend does
not work as well in films, as we have seen with disasters
like "Supergirl" and "Soldier" as reminders.
While
the creators of the Mummy series are planning the third big
screen outing for Imotep and his legions, writer Jonathan
Hales and director Chuck Russell have devised a new series
based on a character from "The Mummy Returns" and have created
"The Scorpion King" The film stars wrestler Dwane (The Rock)
Johnson as Mathayus, one of the few remaining members of his
people who are noted for their skills as assassins. It seems
that a evil leader named Memnon, (Steven Brand), has taken
power by force and has destroyed the few remaining tribes
until only a handful from each remain in opposition to him.
Aided by a stunning sorcerer named Cassandra (Kelly Hu), armies
are powerless before Memnon as his sorcerer can see what is
to come and allow him to plan accordingly. In a last ditch
effort; a leader has hired Mathayus and his men to kill the
sorcerer thus allowing their forces to stand against Memnon
on equal footing.
Things
do not go as planned, and soon Mathyaus is battling for his
life in one action packed situation after another as he strives
to complete his task and find his destiny in doing so.
I expected
this film to be fairly uninspired as it was created very quickly
following last summers "The Mummy Returns" and seemed to be
little more than an excuse to cash in on the previous films
in the series. Instead, the film is an action packed romp,
which is enjoyable and lightweight. The characters in the
film have some jovial moments, and this works well with the
action. Grant Heslov is good as a thief who seems to get himself
into trouble at every turn yet is a devoted and loyal friend
to Mathyus. The comedic banter flows well without seeming
forces and gave the impression that the cast was having a
good time making this film, as there seemed to be a genuine
chemistry amongst them. Johnson was good in the title role,
as he does not try to do more than he is capable of and works
well with the cast. He is capable of being tender and fierce
yet is capable of getting a laugh when the scene calls for
it. Kelly Hu is dazzling as Cassandra as her beauty and grace
light up the screen and bode well for her future work. She
seems to be having a great time with the character and even
gets involved in the action with Johnson and Michael Clark
Duncan when things get intense.
While
I could pick on the film for not having a very deep plot,
as you have seen this story in films ranging from "The Beastmaster",
"Conan" and "The Sword and The Sorcerer" (some scenes even
borrow heavily from the Indiana Jones films), I had a good
time. I would like to have seen a bit more depth to the character
of Mathyus such as how he came to be where he is, how his
people were lost and what motivates him, but for what it sets
out to be "The Scorpion King" works.
This is
a film that aims to be a summer popcorn flick with a nod to
the action serials that inspired it, and it works. The focus
is on characters and action rather than a deep plot and character
depth. The film moves at a brisk but never hectic pace and
is a nice diversion for 90 minutes. Lets hope that should
we see another Scorpion King, the filmmakers take a lesson
from the first one and let the stars and the action carry
the film rather than a ton of special effects.
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