Most often, commercially successful films are followed by equally ambitious sequels. But there are times when a film ends so well that there is no desire to continue shooting in the coming years. Then prequels (prehistory of the main plot) and spin-offs (offshoots in favor of a particular character) are used. In the case of “The Mummy Forever” it happened: the creators did not want to resurrect the priest Imhotep for the third time, leaving the O’Connell family alone, and took up the film about the Scorpion King – the antagonist from the second part performed by wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It would seem that the very background of this person was well told in the prologue of the film “The Mummy Returns”. But the desire to make money again on the popular adventure franchise, as well as the charisma and acting ambitions of “The Rock”, was stronger.
What can be said, the film "The Scorpion King" quite lived up to expectations. Like the whole dilogy Stephen Sommers (this time he gave the director's chair Chuck Russell, and he remained the producer of the project), this picture, albeit freely treats the story, but also looks with interest, being a beautiful example of an easy adventure movie.
The plot of the spin-off sends the viewer back to those days when the hero of Dwayne Johnson was not yet called the King of the Scorpions, but was already a powerful Akkadian warrior-mercenary named Metayas, who challenged the most powerful king-tyrant Memnon. Naturally, Metayasu will not succeed in defeating the insidious Memnon alone, so throughout the film he will enlist the support of like-minded people, rallying the team around him. In general, a typical plot for a fairy tale (and such films are best treated as fairy tales).
Among the advantages of the picture, I want to note the dynamics and beautiful staging of battles (well, how about without fights, when the main role is played by a wrestler), humor and atmosphere of the Ancient East. Even the fateful arrangement of the soundtrack written by John Debney was good.
Hardly anyone will object, but “The Scorpion King” is a real benefit of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Although formally the debut in the acting field of Johnson happened earlier, but this picture gave him a chance to show himself, playing the main role. Yes, Johnson is to some extent another Schwarzenegger (who, as you know, also came to the cinema quite late, becoming famous as a bodybuilder). He is not good enough in acting (especially in dramatic scenes). But his Metayas is not Akkadian Hamlet - a rushing and doubtful hero. And not a stupid guerrilla who can only fight. With his facial expressions and charisma, he is able to bring a slight bit of humor where it would seem that he does not belong (I am talking about the action scenes themselves). It is not surprising that in the future he often had to play in films for children and adolescents.
Of course, the Scorpion King is not perfect. Not even from the point of view of history (there you can lose count, counting the blunders and inconsistencies), but from the position of reference to the main plot of the film “The Mummy Returns”. It’s just unusual to watch after The Mummy Returns, where the Rock is such a villain, to see him as a noble warrior. And again, take the same story with the scorpion. In the second part, there was one version of why Johnson’s character called himself that, in the spin-off it was completely different. Anyway, small discrepancies don’t make the 2002 blockbuster bad. In any case, after 20 years, it looks good, not outdated. But as for its sequels, released immediately on DVDs, everything was already much worse. But that's another story.
"The King of Scorpions" - a fairy tale, which does not pity time
The film, which tells about what happened 5,000 years ago, has a very vague relation to history. Nevertheless, the adventure film is pleasant to see: the actors are beautiful, the plot is dynamic, full of unexpected turns.
If you do not find fault, then the film is wonderful - it is not a pity to spend time on it. There is no special depth in it, interesting historical facts cannot be gleaned from it either. The adventure film is made in order to relax and distract – nothing more, and the film performs this task.
The plot, of course, is completely invented, although there are nuances where the writers still gave a slight blow. The action takes place in Egypt, where the powerful ruler and fierce warrior Memnon seeks to conquer other nations. He is confronted by Akkadian Metaes (played by handsome Dwayne Johnson) – a relatively positive character: a hired assassin who was hired to destroy Memnon.
Personally, I don’t understand why this mission in the film was assigned to an Akkadian. Is there not a local in Egypt? And how did this Akkadian come to Egypt from southern Mesopotamia? At that time it was a very short and difficult way, it was long and troublesome to get from Akkad (the territory of modern Iran) to Egypt. How many months or even years did he travel? And for what? To kill Memnon and get the money? So there was no other killer in Egypt? And there were no other orders from Metaes, since he was flattered by such an offer?
The name of the seer who lived at the court of Memnon also laughed. Americans, it seems, can only think with stereotypes and cliches. If she is a visionary, then of course Cassandra! There is no other way to call her! She must have exactly the same name as the heroine of ancient Greek mythology, who predicted the death of Troy.
Of course, she should be given a name so that even American viewers understand that the young lady lives next to Memnon for a reason - she is definitely a visionary! If, for example, her name was Tethys or Chiona, or something else, the Yankees would break all the heads of what kind of woman she is and why men listen to her stories, but they would not realize that she is a seer.
In general, the film is good, you can watch it. And you can close your eyes to the blunders of Americans – they can’t do it without shoals, because in principle they are not accustomed to think a lot.
“The King of the Scorpions” is an easy, drive adventure about a mercenary, with a magnificent action, with a light plot and “light” characters, in connection with which this tape will especially appeal to those who missed militants from the 90s, only for the place of pistols and grenade launchers – bow and arrows. In fact, this is a militant in the entourage of antiquity. And also very attractive. The attraction of this tape, as for me, gives good directing and awesome action. The director, which is called “in one breath”, conveyed global events, fitting them in a modest timekeeping, with all this feeling of understatement after watching as a whole is absent, because of the “original essence” of the film, namely, entertainment, adventure, fairy tales, whatever you want to call. In other words, the picture simply did not have enough space for excessive logic and validity since this film is primarily an entertainment product. However, there was enough room for a good and cheerful story. Whether it is reasonable to sacrifice excessive logic for an action adventure is a moot point.
In my opinion, it is necessary to sacrifice logic in such films for the sake of promoting the plot and (or) beautiful shots and “The Scorpion King” was no exception. At least give something to the audience in return. And the picture provides a replacement, first in the form of magnificent fighting scenes, which in the film a lot, besides very competently directed and staged, second charismatic and memorable characters.
The main character played by Dwayne Johnson is undoubtedly good in terms of perception, but at the same time feels strange, or rather his motivation for the plot. Matayas is a warrior who kills for money, he is a hired killer, his actions are determined by his way of life. His attitude towards human life is very contradictory, as for me, and this is clearly traced in the plot. This fact forms a dual attitude towards the character. And of course, do not understand where the desire to try on managerial functions, which also in the plot initially did not want to accept. At the same time, the character is incredibly attractive, with his principledness, courage and willpower. I also want to note the characters performed by Kelly Hu and Michael Clark Duncan, very bright and memorable images, thanks to which including the picture I want to review repeatedly.
And of course, I liked the fact that in the film there was a place for an important and correct thought, that a person creates his own destiny and no predictions and prophecies affect the choice.
7 out of 10
Adventure fantasy action movie. The picture tells about the King of Scorpions - one of the characters of the picture "The Mummy Returns", now this kind of picture is called "spin-off". Also a picture of my childhood. I adored it, and even now, after reviewing it at a conscious age - and noticing all the pros and cons - I still love this picture. With the introduction finished, we begin to analyze.
So, pluses:
1. A simple, even trivial story is a story of revenge. This type of scenario comes across almost every two pictures. For someone, this may be a minus, but in this case it is a plus, because for an adventure action movie, a famously twisted plot is not needed. The story should be simple and clear from the beginning.
2. Funny humour – I haven’t noticed it before, but there are a lot of funny moments and monologues in the film, mostly from one of the characters. And the jokes uttered by the other heroes are also very good and give pleasure.
3. Great sword fights, especially between the main character and the main villain. You can see that the real masters are fighting.
4. The fight between the main character and an equal opponent is probably one of my favorite scenes. Two booby carry everything around them, while no one hopes for concessions.
Now, alas, minuses:
1. Predictability -- I assure you, after five minutes of viewing, you'd already know what happens next with the precision of the surgeon. This follows from the simplicity of history.
2. The monologue of one of the characters at the very beginning of the picture - if you listen, and turn on your head - you will hear such universal nonsense, which is even difficult to describe.
3. A few counterintuitive moments - I only found a couple of them, so I wasn't too disappointed.
A few words about heroes:
1. Metaes (King of the Scorpions) played by Dwayne Johnson is a hired killer who was assigned a very important task, which he certainly failed. He is considered a very skilled warrior, a representative of an almost extinct people. The first full-fledged role of wrestler Dwayne Johnson, nicknamed “The Rock”. His sporting past helped him get into the role very much - and he was just great.
2. Memnon performed by Stephen Brand is the king of the tribe of conquerors, who enslaved almost all known peoples. He's considered the best warrior. A cruel ruler who stops at nothing to achieve his goal. He has a visionary who brings good luck. Stephen was very persuasive.
3. The seer played by Kelly Hoo is the close associate of King Memnon. In many ways, he has won most of his victories. You understand the key role in the story. The beautiful Kelly Hu was absolutely fascinating. A few moments in the picture underlined this. You know what I mean.
4. Thorak, played by Ralph Meller, is a general in Memnon's army. An old servant, fanatically loyal to his king. But here is Memnon himself, as it turned out... A typical character, familiar to all of us. Ralph looked great.
5. Balshazzar, played by Michael Clark Duncan, is a former Numidian king. It was Memnon who almost exterminated his people, so like Metaes, he fights out of revenge. A very charismatic warrior. Great role of Mike Clark Duncan.
That’s all I wanted to say about this painting. I love this picture, despite its flaws.
The remake of The Mummies can be considered as exemplary an adventure film as the Indiana Jones saga. The release of the sequel was predictable, like a daily sunset, but the spin-off about the Scorpio King came as a big surprise. The motive was the successful debut role of Dwayne Jones in The Mummy Returns. Without a doubt, if such a supplement film was shot ten years later, it would hardly be worth expecting anything good from it, but Chuck Russell shot a surprisingly decent response to The Mummy.
On the example of “King of Scorpions” you can judge how successful a spin-off can become if you shoot it not just as an addition, but as an independent story with your world and your heroes. Only the presence of the Middle East as an arena of action speaks of the connection with the Mummy. Everything else is different here, and the Scorpion King (whose role is again played by Dwayne Johnson) has not yet completed his long journey to the peak of fame. Thanks to this film, we can learn that he began as an ordinary mercenary, pursuing only profit, but after a funny escape with a horseback and a meeting with a charming soothsayer, the hero Metaes becomes responsive and devoted to honor.
Despite the fact that before us is a banal and seemingly well-known story about how a powerful warrior overthrows an evil conqueror and makes friends, the film literally absorbs and does not let go of the entire hour and a half. King of the Scorpions is the best example of what a 12+ movie should be. Of course, one can point to the frank naivety of the narrative as well as the fact that all female characters are always unnaturally candidly dressed (and as soon as the Viking women freeze in the snow?), but we all sometimes want to plunge into something beautiful, where everyone is beautiful, and good conquers evil. Like the Mummy, the Scorpio King is a fantasy, but with an even weaker historical basis. I can’t believe the Bedouin ancestors are on the screen. Rather, it is an experiment on the settlement of people of the Western world of the Ancient East. Full of stereotypes, but such an attractive world.
Spectacularity and humor in “King of Scorpions” is even more than in “The Mummy”. For funny scenes here responsible Arpid (Grant Heslov) - such frivolous characters are perhaps the most characteristic feature of American adventure films. Philos (Bernard Hill) is an all-knowing alchemist, the likes of whom are believed to originate from Asia. Stephen Brand played Memnon - the main antagonist, who at all costs must take over the whole world, no more, no less. The real highlight that adorns the film is the Soothsayer, who was played by the passionate Kelly Hu. Finally, notable is Balthazar, played by Michael Duncan - a warrior who, like Metaes, goes from a barbarian to a hero-favourite.
Against the background of numerous Hollywood blockbusters, released both before and after, “The King of Scorpions” looks like a real diamond, in which special effects are successfully combined with scenery, all the tricks are set high-quality, and the acting game catches a laid-back openness. You can watch this movie without getting acquainted with the “Mummy”. Ten points out of ten this film definitely deserves.
10 out of 10
Realizing the success of the first part of “The Mummy”, the Universal studio decided not only to give the green light to the sequel, but also to cook well on it, fitting a whole animated series for its premiere, in order to pluck its piece not only from the movie, but also from the television market. In addition, Universal decided not to leave the film industry so easily and the next year after the release of the second part of the Sommers franchise to provide viewers if not a full-fledged “Mummy”, then at least a spin-off about one of its characters. Personally, I have no idea what Stephen Sommers found so special in the Scorpion King, the character of Johnson’s Rock, but he did the film to the fullest: he sat down to write the script while working as a producer, while Chuck Russell was told to visualize all this obscenity.
By the way, Sommers’ scripts are more or less normal, judging by Hollywood blockbusters about mummies. “The King of Scorpions” is full of clichés and devoid of originality, take at least the same characters: everyone in the world who knows how to make a huge swagger, running with him and a bad partner with a lack of mental development – such a set can certainly be found in at least a couple of hundred other films. However, everything is written so that the viewer almost nothing interferes. The characters are not annoying, and the story does not cause discomfort until you start looking at it in the context of the universe of “The Mummy”. Ancient Egypt in Sommers' film was the most ordinary Ancient Egypt, albeit seasoned with a small (very tiny) pinch of supernatural magic. The setting of “King of the Scorpions”, the prequel to “The Mummy”, let me remind you, is an incomprehensible thing that happens not clearly where and with some elements of fantasy. No ancient Egypt with its sarcophagi and mummies, there is only an unknown kingdom ruled by an evil tyrant, and scattered villages around it. But, nevertheless, if you forget about the fact that the picture is a spin-off and a prequel to The Mummy Returns, then the script will not cause so many unnecessary questions to its technical execution and will not load the viewer with them, which is a very good feature for a movie attraction.
Directing is also not so simple: there are no interesting visual finds, rather the opposite – Chuck Russell likes to put where there is no need for slow-mo (which is excessively slow even for slow-mo) and sculpt too sharp transitions from one scene to another. In addition, a couple of battle scenes are set quite gabby: it comes to ridiculous - the viewer can witness how the Rock beats the air next to his enemy, and he falls.
The acting is also not particularly impressive, the same Johnson this film, like, his first, where he plays in the lead role, so take a few unrealistic scenes with his participation. Most of all, I liked Stephen Brand, playing the Glavgade - his face perfectly displays the villain who tries to seem calm, but by all external signs it is clear that he barely restrains his anger and anger.
The moral of all the action is as follows: fate can not be changed, but a person is to overcome the impossible, so the strength of the spirit of the Scorpio King and his friendly brethren was achieved victory over the destined. Never stop fighting your fate, friends.
But in general, all the negativity that I poured above is nothing compared to the emotions that the film gives with the help of interesting situations, dialogue and sometimes well-made action scenes (a storm in the desert and further battle in a cave is the best moment of the film). Timekeeping also plays a big role. The film will take only an hour and a half of your time and will not even have time to get bored, because the flow of action almost does not stop, which makes the viewer not think to turn away from the screen. Despite the large number of shortcomings, the number of advantages, coupled with a small timekeeping, make me say without fear and internal reproaches that “The Scorpion King” is a good film. Unless, of course, much is expected from him and at the same time abstract from the mythology of the "Mummy".
It just so happens that my introduction to the Mummy franchise began with the Scorpion King in 2002. Before watching this movie, I didn’t know much about Mummy. I bought it on cassette, I really liked the movie. Largely because I was a fan of Dwayne Johnson as a wrestler when he was still known as Rock or Rock depending on the voice acting. The next day I came back to buy a movie like the Scorpion King. Then I was told that before him there were 2 parts of the Mummy, I bought both of them at once. In my case, I didn’t lose anything because I didn’t watch these films on time, because the Scorpio King turned out to be a backstory-spin-off, so in terms of the storyline, I just looked at everything in turn.
If you immediately say in general, then the King of Scorpions is a very interesting and high-quality branch of the franchise. He's just a little behind the Mummy. Just because he's a little different. The timing of the Tsar is less than 30 minutes, and the action is almost more than the Mummy returns. Just for the sake of the fact that in the main role there is a huge Dwayne Johnson, who must necessarily put dozens of enemies to death. What is he supposed to do? The abundance of action does not deprive the film of a good plot and story. Everything here is very interesting and at a decent level. We are told in detail the story of Akkadian Metaes on his way to the murder of the cruel ruler of the ancient city of Gomorrah and becoming his king. The result came out bright, rich and exciting. Although it could not but surprise that the Scorpio King is almost completely devoid of fantasy component. It looks like it is based on historical events. In the same 300 Spartans fiction is much more. There is only a seer in the King who foresees the future. In everything else, this is a very real story. No mummies, no curses, no gods are involved. Strange, because the subsequent events of the reign of the Scorpio King, shown in the Mummy returns, are exclusively mythical. And they look great there, given all this ancient Egyptian aura and fabulousness. It is not clear what goals the filmmakers pursued, making it more “real”.
But nevertheless, the film was very good, and I can clearly see how it was possible to further develop the story of the Scorpion King. How was it possible to show the change in his personality to confirm the final words of the seer "nothing lasts forever" in response to his question "how long will the world last?" For example, something like a curse that lies on the crown of the ruler of Gomorrah, because the cruel king Mannon was just as eager to conquer all kingdoms as Metaes returns to Mummy. After all, wasn’t it interesting to watch Star Wars protagonist Anakin transition to the dark side of the force? They would shoot a 7-year war, which we already know how he will lose in it and promise his soul to Anubis ... hell, if I am not stopped now, I will write a whole script based on those events that were described in the Mummy Returns. This is only one option that could be removed. I'm just saying the obvious. Instead, the Scorpio King was literally buried. No, not in the movie. And the movie was buried. The mummy subsequently received the 3rd part, which, although it was the most unsuccessful, did not cause blindness. But about the King of Scorpions began to sculpt incredibly fast cheap crafts is not clear why. Is it still possible to make money from them? I grieved in half with the King of the Scorpions 2: The Ascension of the Warrior, but I started watching the King of the Scorpions 3: The Book of the Dead soon cried and turned off the film. And then there was the lost throne. I haven’t even tried it.
The path to what was now closed. The New Mummy with Tom Cruise is a very different movie, according to the trailer. There will be no mythology, no fabulousness. It's going to be like a mystery disaster movie. No Hamunaptra, no Amsher, no Gomorrah. Not every good movie makes 6-8 parts. We can always revisit the 3 Old Mummies and the 1st Scorpio King. Do not waste your life on its continuation, its lost hours will not be returned.
Good day, everyone! Just watch a good movie.
P.S. Godsmack – I Stand Alone – I Stand Alone
8 out of 10
Ancient Egypt before the pyramids were built. The powerful and cruel ruler Memnon conquers the surrounding tribes one by one thanks to the prediction of his seer. A handful of recalcitrants hire Akkadian mercenary Mateas to kill Memnon’s soothsayer. He sneaks into the palace and learns that the seer is a young girl Cassandra. He leaves her alive, and with her and the horse thief Arpid, who washed up on the road, goes into the desert to lure Memnon out.
The first major role of Dwayne Johnson, known in the world of professional wrestling under the nickname The Rock. According to the plot, this is a prequel to two parts of The Mummy, but in fact it is quite an independent movie.
Of course, historicality does not smell here. But who needs it, if there is a charismatic protagonist, a beautiful heroine, well-made fights and battles, a bit of humor and an atmosphere of fabulousness in the spirit of old films about Sinbad.
It is clear that the film has enough flaws. No one shows a special acting game. The main characters, especially the hero of Johnson, take, rather texture and charisma. And their set is standard for fantasy movies. There is a hero, his beloved, their amusing companion, the grotesque main villain-tyrant.
In general, everything is very template, but at the same time competently and quite spectacularly removed. Well, the charm and charisma of the actors add to the film pluses.
6.5 out of 10
Chuck Russell had all the aces on his hands when he started his career. First, when he was 35 years old, he was entrusted to shoot the third part of the great horror franchise “Nightmare on Elm Street” and he was able to shoot a triquel completely without failing as for the debut. Secondly, skipping another horror film “Drop”, Russell is entrusted with a film of a radically different genre, namely comedy and it becomes a classic: in 1994, the Mask comes out, where Jim Carrie enchanted, becoming one of the best comedians of Hollywood. But it didn't work out any further. The criminal action movie based on the dark comics “The Punisher” with Thomas Jane and John Travolta did not live up to expectations. The mysticism of “Save and Save” with Kim Basinger, who at the time of filming in this picture, his career was markedly declining, was even more disappointing than “The Washer”. But the former merits of Chuck Russell were not forgotten and he again stood at the helm when the filming of the film “King of the Scorpions” began.
The production center and the film company that took over the work with the Scorpion King were on the right track, as the unforgettable leader of the proletariat used to say. “The King of the Scorpions” turned out to be a spin-off of a significant adventure saga on the theme of Egyptian mythology “The Mummy”, which managed to squeeze the seemingly unshakable classic of the genre “Indiana Jones”, settling with her on the same pedestal. The viewer was in anticipation, but still the creators of “The Scorpion King” went to another tricky move when they invited to play the main role of a mercenary from the clan of professional assassins (just some assassins) named Mathaus Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the famous wrestler from the American show. But this was not a clever move of the creators, not at all, but it consisted in the fact that “The Rock” was introduced into a couple of memorable episodes in the second part of “The Mummy”, where the loud name of the mythical Scorpion King was voiced. Definitely, taking into account these conditions, it was that the viewer will be drawn to the cinemas to view a new adventure picture.
But to work well in marketing is one thing, but to give the viewer a quality movie is quite another. As mentioned above, director Chuck Russell managed to disappoint his fans a couple of times, removing incomprehensible tapes with famous actors. In the film “The Scorpion King” neither Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, nor Michael Clarke Duncan, with all due respect to him, to the stars of the first magnitude in cinema can not be attributed. Why shouldn’t a new movie star be on fire? Former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger became one, but his image already required, so to speak, an update, so why not Johnson? But, as it turned out, Johnson either did not have enough acting talent, which was and is Schwarzenegger, or the roles were not offered to “The Rock” to turn into an idol of the viewer, but, in general, the film “The Scorpion King”, which could give him a pass to a big movie, did not become such. And many viewers would prefer after the initial viewing of “The Mummy” to “The Scorpion King”, which turned out to be weaker.
It’s not just Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Figlaring and flaunting with muscles is a small matter, if already pumped. But at least Johnson was prettier than Jason Momoa in the remake of Conan the Barbarian. And like a brave warrior from ancient times, when the sword and faith in witchcraft went in one foot and were an integral part of the then life, but more from Mataus can not wait. Fortunately, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did not agree to participate in the sequels of "The Scorpion King". And the colleagues of the wrestler looked very bad on the set. In the role of the main antagonist of Memnon (stripped the name of the noble king Agamemnon?), someone Stephen Brand, who completely falsely performed the villain and tyrant. Stanislavsky would have chased them to the neck for 101 kilometers at best. The woman does not have to leave any imprint, because because of them all the wars. Kelly Hoo is an exotic beauty, but you won’t get anything more, dear viewer. And with all this, a good cameraman John R. Leonetti ("Mask, Mortal Battle) shot on one side of the spectacle, but so artificial, at least brush it off. Well, special effects, especially about the cobra in the hand of the heroine Kelly Hu, do not want to remember, so they were incomprehensible and cheap.
If you like an adventure movie, similar to the first two parts of “The Mummy”, the “Conan the Barbarian” of the time of Arnold Schwarzenegger, then I would rather review these films than watch “The Scorpion King”. But on the other hand, I will not dare to watch either, someone will like this film, but for me personally, “The Scorpion King” did not become a good entertainment spectacle, I was more disappointed than impressed.
5 out of 10
After a stunningly successful sequel to The Mummy Returns, which almost eclipsed its predecessor (by and large, this is a very rare case), Stephen Sommers took up the story of the “king of scorpions” and, as we see, for good reason. The film quite lived up to expectations and was not another unsuccessful experiment (which filled the archives of various film companies). Each fragment of the film is saturated with the very production of “The Mummy” and it is very clear that Stephen worked on this project, and no one else. This director really has his own style and most importantly, this style is quite to the liking of most viewers. After all, behind his shoulders are not only two successful “Mummies”, but also literally shocked the world of cinema “Van Helsing” (which is one of my favorite films of the genre of “fiction” and “adventure”). The most important feature of Sommers, the ability to create a good atmosphere even in the most seemingly gloomy film. Dynamics, professional work on protagonists and antagonists, beautiful visualization. You can make a point to me that the visual side depends more on the budget investment. But I will not categorically refute this “assumption”. After all, if the director is deprived of an artistic approach, he does not create an exemplary film, no matter how large the project is. There are many examples of this.
The picture “King of the Scorpions” fits very well into this great story, which lasted under the leadership of Stephen Sommers. This movie has everything that any movie needs. Atmosphere, dynamics, colorful characters, excellent costume design, a decent storyline, a good selection of actors and a rush of positive emotions after watching. I have to revisit this creation and every time it is a pleasure.
Actors: The lineup is good. In the “arsenal” there is a big guy “The Rock” Johnson, who was remembered for his acting career, not for his performances in wrestling. This person is a very bright personality and he can always attract attention with his unusual charm of the actor. Not all wrestling stars succeed in this. I would even say that this man found himself in the film industry. The role of the mercenary Mattaya successfully played by the actor. He is resourceful, courageous, proud and always ready for the consequences of his actions. In the role of Balthazar (in pronunciation I can be wrong, please forgive me) starred not without the famous and now deceased Michael Clark Duncan. Despite the impressive size, I always knew that this man has a very “fragile” nature. He is a man with a big heart and his successful role in the famous film “Green Mile”, very well describes the real Michael Clark Duncan. But the role he played in the elegant and fabulous production of The Scorpion King is not very strong. He kept the bar, but nothing more. And his most successful role is working in the Green Mile I mentioned above. Kelly Hu did a good job in her role, too. Although at first glance, someone may not seem familiar, to see her in such a role. Here she plays a good-natured soothsayer, who is tired of participating in the atrocities of the powerful ruler of Memnon. But the most colorful way was the antihero. Stephen Brand is just great in his role and perfectly embodies the villain. Also, I would like to mention old Meller (German, former champion in bodybuilding), who once again proves his need for this business.
As a result, given the fact that I was satisfied with almost all the creators of this creation, I have no choice but to evaluate this film with a maximum score.
10 out of 10
The human thirst for the unknown and little-known facts of our world history has been actively developed by the authors of literary works over the past few centuries. With the advent of cinema, more and more variations of pseudohistorical, as they say, stories evolve, with a bright shade of adventure. The brainchild of Chuck Russell has the necessary attributes: a strong charismatic hero, the fight for a just cause, treasure and love.
As in the case of the cult inspirer in the face of the franchise “Mumiya”, events from the life of Akkadian Metaes can not be recommended as an information tool for studying world history. According to the modern concept of potential box office hits and to appease thirsty viewers, the plot of the film exploits a whole set of stamps originating from school education. The vast territory of Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula shrinks for an hour and a half to the scale of several closely located kingdoms. The court of viewers’ opinion is offered at once a number of bright characters of different nationalities, an interweaving of traditions and mores and even the biblical city of Gomorrah. Nevertheless, such a crossover or, in accessible language, a solyak, is perceived cheerfully and unobtrusively. The main thing is to realize that this is an exclusively entertaining project with no claims to cultural significance.
The image of the main character turned out to be a collective, exuding imperious arrogance and at the same time, an attractive type of hero who spoke out against evil. Metaes' motives for much of the film are limited to revenge, but that doesn't change the fact that watching Dwayne Johnson throw bad warriors in different directions is quite fun. In other words, subtle acting and empathy should not be expected, but perhaps any boy would want to be in the shoes of the main character. Unfortunately, the main villain in the face of the dictator does not make the proper impression and as such a tense confrontation did not work out.
Even considering the above thoughts about the questionable historical basis, in many scenes, especially on the streets of Gomorrah, it was possible to achieve a certain effect of presence. After watching, you will probably remember some particularly bright moments only with a smile, but being at the screen, you get the right charge of emotions. It seems to me that we have managed to draw a line between the serious storytelling of what places the film tries to appear, and the comedic component so necessary for the complete atmosphere of the adventure.
The cruel ancient Egyptian tyrant Memnon set out to subjugate all free tribes in order to rule over them and be God and more than God. The remaining unconquered tribes hire the warrior Mateus to stop the arrogant tyrant, while the fate of Mateus himself will soon change greatly.
Famous American wrestler Dwayne Johnson, nicknamed “The Rock” in 2002, loudly debuted in a big movie and this debut, which brought Dwayne Johnson fame as a new action hero, became an adventure action movie in the style of fantasy time called “The King of the Scorpions”, filmed under the direction of director Chuck Russell and produced by the creator of a new version of “The Mummy” Stephen Sommers, with which “The King of the Scorpions” is very often compared, although there is no special similarity in principle, because more than this genre of fantasy, which the spectator bears a very fondness of Robert’s imagination and the spectacle, however, it is amazingly crossing the scene in the scenery of the scenery of life.
A huge plus of the film by Chuck Russell was the plot, which keeps in constant tension, without sagging and not getting tied in an abundance of stamps, which in this picture is quite a few.
Director Chuck Russell perfectly creates a bright atmosphere in the film, complementing it with the original and impressive work of cameraman John R. Leonetti and a very melodic and dynamic soundtrack from composer John Debney.
From the cast of the film, in addition to the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, first of all, I want to highlight Stephen Brand in the role of Memnon, Michael Clark Duncan, Peter Facinelli and Bernard Hill, who created integral and interesting images that gave the tape a special color.
To all fans of adventure entertainment fantasy, I highly recommend this film and I think you should not be disappointed.
8 out of 10
I think that no one is surprised by the numerous remakes, sequels and other sequels of successful franchises. Sure. After all, when a cow gives milk, you have to survive as much as possible. That’s what the creators are doing. It is much less common to see such a phenomenon as a spin-off. When an individual character of a separate tape is so bright that he literally asks for a separate film about his beloved. That’s exactly what happened to this film. Having been featured in several episodes of Steven Sommers' The Mummy sequel, the character sparked such intense interest that they decided to make a film based on it. Sommers himself refused to stage the film and decided to limit himself to producing duties. I don’t think the film was affected. Since despite the fact that the film was shot by Chuck Russell, the film was almost completely shot in that excellent adventure style of Sommers, for which many loved him. Including me.
From this we can easily say that both from the atmospheric side and from the substantive, the film was very close to the dilogy of The Mummy by Stephen Sommers. Especially well Chuck managed to adapt the seemingly perfect recipe of the above franchise. Where luxurious landscapes, adventure spirit, entertainment and subtle humor are perfectly woven into one canvas. Where each of these elements is dosed very strictly and this creates the feeling of watching a film format "Pure Pleasure". Which is right. After all, Chuck made a really spectacular and spectacular film. Take at least the opening scene of the battle or the action series in the cave. What to say about the final action series. Where one spectacle replaces another and creates such a spectacular extravaganza that the eyes rejoice and the soul is pleasant.
In general, the film captivates with its certain ease of which I probably like to watch ordinary blockbusters. Do not strain your brains, you just watch, enjoy what you see and if the film turned out to be bad, with the same ease forget about its existence. In this case, it's unnecessary. Because the picture turned out very juicy and beautiful. At least in how luxuriously were shown such beautiful landscapes and locations. What exactly is the merit of Chuck Russell.
Even while watching the sequel to The Mummy, I was very interested in the legend of King Scorpio, which was shown casually at the very beginning of the tape. I was also interested in the fact that behind my extensive knowledge of the history and myths of ancient Egypt, I found nothing to do with it. Due to this, this film I took topically in terms of the plot. Because, unlike the image of the powerful and ambitious Scorpio King, who wants to conquer the whole world by all available means, which was demonstrated in the sequel to The Mummy.
Unlike that ambitious man, we see here a real man of honor who is ready to fight for the right cause. Alas, we were not shown how Matayas came to this life and what happened to him. The film ends at the most interesting moment. But the process of becoming the King of Scorpions is well demonstrated and it does not give out a cranberry plot inherent in many blockbusters, but rather an ordinary fairy tale that is so tirelessly liked by both adults and children. Especially if it is decorated with such good humor as here and do not care that the plot turned out banal at the most I can not and is full of various stamps. Both in terms of the plot itself and in terms of certain characters especially.
Times change and heroes change the same way. Perhaps this is how one can characterize the ascent of former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the Hollywood Olympus. Since the lack of talent, the presence of impressive muscle mass and colorful appearance, the Rock literally repeated the path of the ascent of the cult Arnold Schwarzenegger and perhaps even replaced him as the heroes of the militants. Like Arnie, Rock is not a talented actor. That's just the characters are well selected, and the rest does muscle mass and colorful appearance. What we see in the debut major role Rocks on the screen. I'm not playing very well. But the viewer is happy.
Stephen Brand in the image of the main villain does not look bad. Just like Michael Clark Duncan and Grant Heslov, who play decently and as brightly as required from their secondary characters. Although in truth, "Grant" stands out among all much brighter due to the fact that he pulls a good amount of humor on himself throughout the tape. Separately, I want to highlight my favorite Kelly Hu, which looked bloody sexy and just fascinating. Each appearance on the screen made the film hotter and incredibly intriguing. And as a man, it was nice to see her luxurious roundness and shape.
The music of John Debney was very strong. Surprisingly, John did with his work the same as the director of the tape in relation to the dilogy “The Mummy” by Stephen Sommers. John perfectly adapted the music of Goldsmith and Silvestri from the above dilogy and logically continued it in a similar vein. In this regard, here you can easily notice the same rush of adventure and exoticism, which was so liked in the “Mummy”. Except that, a pleasant surprise and a sign of originality was the combination of music with a luxurious selection of rock songs. Especially led by the main soundtrack of the tape I Stand Alone from the band Godsmack, which uniquely decorated the film with its presence.
9 out of 10
Very spectacular, light, fascinating, fabulous and spectacular adventure blockbuster. A decent offshoot of Steven Sommers' The Mummy and just a good movie. I liked it and I enjoy watching it again and again. Which is what I recommend you do.
His army destroyed and destroyed any earthly enemies. His many soldiers did not know the words of pity and mercy. His chariots and riders crushed weak women and young children to death. From his cruelty, everyone fled in different directions. His name was pronounced with trepidation by the enslaved people. And the last survivors who were ready to fight for the independence of their tribes hated this evil tyrant. Individual groups of brave men wanted to kill Memnon, the ruler of many cities and peoples.
The rebels entrusted the liquidation of this undesirable and tough ruler to a hired killer - Mateus. He was the only one who accepted this difficult job. And only he got the hard part of endless fighting and complex attempts to overthrow and destroy an insidious and experienced dictator.
Let the gods have pity on you, for my brother will not pity you.
The film of the American director Chuck Russell - "The King of Scorpions" - provides the viewer with his vision of fabulous legends and myths of ancient and wise years. This fairy tale, and a very powerful fantasy - the action movie reveals all the beautiful sides of its magical existence, and ... an unusually twisted gut. From the very beginning of viewing this creation, we begin to understand that we are facing a colorful project. There are no flaws or shortcomings in this film. It can't be. Because ... such a strong director could not shoot differently. He had every inch of film taken gone to work. And the crew didn't do anything. Their work paid off in full, and moviegoers were satisfied. Actually, this is not a bad movie, and here are a few points that significantly enhance the effect of the sight:
1. Awesome scenery There are plenty of them, and they amaze with their beauty.
2. Workshop of the operator. His perspective shooting, rapid movements do not interfere with the viewer. On the contrary, even more sharply emphasize the venerability of the picture.
3. Play of actors. You can talk about it indefinitely... For the artists were able to accurately recreate the atmosphere of that tough era. You don't have to pick on their characters. Dwayne Johnson, Michael Clark Duncan, Kelly Hu and Bernard Hill played their roles wonderfully.
“Live freely, die with dignity!” – Mateus
In my opinion, the overseas guys tried to the fullest. They managed to make another memorable project about the resistance of good and evil. And I'm grateful for that.
In the end, I will note. The Scorpion King is a polished and intense movie. You will get a lot of fights and traps. Rating:
8 out of 10
P.S. “If one of us is left alone, the sorcerer is destroyed.” – Mateus