THE SCORPION KING (2002)

MORGAN'S RATING

In an ancient time, predating the pyramids, the evil king Memnon is using the psychic powers of his sorceress Cassandra to fortell his great victories. In a last ditch effort to stop Memnon from taking over the world, the leaders of the remaining free tribes hire the assassin Mathayus to kill the sorceress. But Mathayus ends up getting much more than he bargained for. Now with the help of the trixter Arpid, tribal leader Balthazar and an unexpectedly ally, it's up to Mathayus to fufill his destiny and become the great Scorpion King.

Dwayne Johnson (Mathayus, The Scorpion King), Steven Brand (Memnon), Michael Clarke Duncan (Balthesar), Kelly Hu (Cassandra), Grant Heslov (Arpid), Peter Facinelli (Takmet), Ralph Moeller (Thorak), Scott L. Schwartz (Torturer), Sherri Howard (Queen Isis), Andrei Sterling (Balthazar's Bandit), Sole Alberti (Harem Girl), Summer Atlice (Kai), Robert Apisa, Richard Cetrone (Barbarian Sentry #2), Esteban Cueto (Third Akkaian), Nick Hermz (Guard at Ant Pit), Bernard Hill (Philos), Michael Hilow (Guard at Ant Pit), Amy Hunter (Ariel), Barry Kramer (Sword Merchant), Al Leong (Asian Training Master), Jim Maniaci (Palance Guard), Adoni Maropis (Doubting General), Woon Young Park (Asian Sword Master), Peter Quartaroli (Vision Archer), Roger Rees (King Pheron), Gus Rethwisch (Barbarian Guard), Breanscombe Richmond (Jesup), Mailon Rivera (Falconer), Conrad Roberts (Chieftain), Cristina Rodriguez (Harem Girl), Joe Ruskin (Tribal Leader), Nils Allen Stewart (Torturer), Tutu Sweeney, Yuki Tokuhiro (Urchin), Peter Navy Tuiasosopo (Night Gate Guard), Bernard White (Falcon Master), Marcus Young (Asian Training Fighter).

WARRIOR. LEGEND. KING

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Chuck Russell (Eraser). WRITERS: Jonathan Hales, Will Osborne, David Hayter and Stephen Sommers. PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel, James Jacks, Kevin Misher, and Stephen Sommers. CO-PRODUCER: Richard Luke Rothschild. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Vince McMahon. ORIGINAL MUSIC: John Debney. DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures.

QUOTES

[After rescuing Jesup from certain death] Mathayus: You'are lucky we have the same mother.

Arpid: After a long day of pillaging and looting, there's no city like Gomorrah...except maybe Sodom.

Jesup: Live free. Mathayus: Die well.

FACTS

Mathayus: Live free. Balthazar: Rule well.

RELEASE DATE: April 19th, 2002 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: October 1st, 2002 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $36.1 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $90.5 million (USA) BUDGET: $60 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: March 2001 -- June 2001 - More scenes had to be shot due to the movie being around 70 minutes long after being edited. - Vince McMahon is an executive producer on the movie only because of the use of the name "The Rock" which he owns. - Part of Dwayne Johnson's Entry music (as The Rock) can be heard in the score of this film. - During filming, Johnson knocked out co-star Michael Clarke-Duncan. - This film is a quickly-made spinoff of The Mummy Returns, in which Johnson's character The Scorpion King briefly appeared. In fact, this movie is a prequel to a sequel of a movie that was a re-make of another movie that was made over 70 years ago. The actor also performed all of his own stunts. - Johnson has said that he intentionally shed away from using any trademarks of his WWF character The Rock, in order to give the Scorpion King character a life of its own. The only exception was "The People's Eyebrow," which he does in response to another character's reference to a harem. He said he included it in the film to acknowledge the "millions and millions of Rock fans. - The sorceress' name, Cassandra, is a reference to the daughter of Priam, king of Troy, who was given the gift to see the future by her lover the Greek god Apollo. He later made it so that the closer she was to the truth the less anyone believed her. - The Rock uses a rolling gong as a shield. Harrison Ford did the same thing in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Arpid: Where are we going? Mathayus: The Valley of the Dead. Arpid: No one goes through the Valley of the Dead. That's why they call it the Valley of the Dead. [Mathayus and the sorceress ride away on the camel.] Arpid: Wait for me please!

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Predecssors The Mummy and The Mummy Returns stand as intellectual masterpiecess next to The Scorpion King." -- Max Messier, Filmcritic.Com

"One of those movies that catches you up in something bigger than yourself, namely, an archeypal desire to enjoy good trash every now and then." -- Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.Com

"Another grandiose, hyperactive crock, full of lame jokes and gorgeous, stupefying images." -- Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

"A fairly by-the-books blend of action and romance with sprinklings of intentional and unintentional comedy." -- Dan Via, Washington Post

"A live-action cartoon, a fast-moving and cheerfully simplisitic 88 minutes of exaggerated action put together with the preteen boy in mind." -- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

"It feels very much like barbarian lite, which is to say, it's nothing special at all." -- Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

"For a movie with such misplaced sense of history, The Scorpion King seems afraid to have more fun with its own stupidity." -- Wesley Morris, Boston Globe