Travis Simpkins: The Scorpion King (2002): The Rock in Ancient Battle

Saturday, February 25, 2017

The Scorpion King (2002): The Rock in Ancient Battle

Directed by Chuck Russell, produced and written by Stephen Sommers, The Scorpion King (2002) is a spin-off that sought to capitalize on the popularity of The Mummy Returns (2001). The film was successful in it's own right and spawned a franchise that currently has four installments. The ancient story centers on a warrior that rises up to fight against the evil army, quartered at Gomorrah, that is ravaging his homeland... and along the way he captures the enemy's seductive Sorceress. The plot is a prequel and the events take place 5,000 years before the storyline of The Mummy. The title refers to King Scorpion of the Protodynastic Period of Egypt. Non-stop action keeps the film moving along with one battle scene after another. The cast does a decent job with the material, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Mathayus the Scorpion King, Kelly Hu as Cassandra the Sorceress, Bernard Hill and Michael Clark Duncan.