Scorpion King, The (2002)

Hollywood is excited with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. They say he is the new Schwarzenegger. The action star of this millennium, blah, blah, blah. I say, hold your horses!

Its true that The Rock's starring debut bears strong resemblance to Arnold and Conan The Barbarian, but it stops there. Conan is a much bigger film and Arnold came at the time when such stardom was licked up gratefully after the realism-drenched decade of 70s. Nothing wrong with the 70s films, I loved them. But fans wanted a bit of escapism and with a hero like Arnold; they were more than grateful. The Austrian Oak later grew more charismatic and was responsible in starring in some of the most exciting action and sci-fi movie of that decade and the nineties. So, tough act to follow, right? It is up to The Rock's choice of career. Now, the movie.

The Scorpion King is the kind of film, if in a more experienced directors hand, might have been a good swords and sorcery yarn alongside the Conan films. While it certainly designed to ride on the success of the Mummy films, it turned out to be completely different. While the Mummy films are fun and enjoyable a-la Indiana Jones, this film takes a more serious approach on legends and myth. But it is limited to that theme. The characters are cliched (obligatory comic relief, inventor, tough ally, and accented bad guy), so all we can look forward for is some slam-bang action and special effect.

The first is okay while the second is disappointing. I am not a fan of wrestling, and I was told that The Rock was the toughest mother in WWF. I believe it when I saw the action sequences he can certainly invite Arnold for a match (only to lose, he!he!). He is okay with heavy swords and has the acting caliber of a wooden statue, which is appropriate for films of this kind.

The computer graphics are getting to my nerve these days. I honestly have begun to appreciate those stop-motion techniques of yesteryears, where a lot of hard physical work was involved. Only the Jurassic Park series managed to make CG results look real. It worked well on Lord of The Rings, but thats about it. You can spot them miles away, especially in this film.

With a right audience (especially fans of The Rock) this film works. I loved both the Conan films and am an out-of-the-closet Arnold fan. Since I can't shake myself off from making comparison, I have no choice but to dismiss this film as an inferior product. Cheap stuff, but works on some level. Good for video rental, anyway. I hope fans of The Rock will apologize me for that. I am sure he will find a good film that will get better reviews.


				*Rakesh's movie talk* *Scorpion King, The (2002)*



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		Directed by Chuck Russell Starring: Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, Kelly Hu and Michael Clark Duncan. Hollywood is excited with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. They say he is the new Schwarzenegger. The action star of this millennium, blah, blah, blah. I say, hold your horses! Its true that The Rock's starring debut bears strong resemblance to Arnold and Conan The Barbarian, but it stops there. Conan is a much bigger film and Arnold came at the time when such stardom was licked up gratefully after the realism-drenched decade of 70s. Nothing wrong with the 70s films, I loved them. But fans wanted a bit of escapism and with a hero like Arnold; they were more than grateful. The Austrian Oak later grew more charismatic and was responsible in starring in some of the most exciting action and sci-fi movie of that decade and the nineties. So, tough act to follow, right? It is up to The Rock's choice of career. Now, the movie. The Scorpion King is the kind of film, if in a more experienced directors hand, might have been a good swords and sorcery yarn alongside the Conan films. While it certainly designed to ride on the success of the Mummy films, it turned out to be completely different. While the Mummy films are fun and enjoyable a-la Indiana Jones, this film takes a more serious approach on legends and myth. But it is limited to that theme. The characters are cliched (obligatory comic relief, inventor, tough ally, and accented bad guy), so all we can look forward for is some slam-bang action and special effect. The first is okay while the second is disappointing. I am not a fan of wrestling, and I was told that The Rock was the toughest mother in WWF. I believe it when I saw the action sequences he can certainly invite Arnold for a match (only to lose, he!he!). He is okay with heavy swords and has the acting caliber of a wooden statue, which is appropriate for films of this kind. The computer graphics are getting to my nerve these days. I honestly have begun to appreciate those stop-motion techniques of yesteryears, where a lot of hard physical work was involved. Only the Jurassic Park series managed to make CG results look real. It worked well on Lord of The Rings, but thats about it. You can spot them miles away, especially in this film. With a right audience (especially fans of The Rock) this film works. I loved both the Conan films and am an out-of-the-closet Arnold fan. Since I can't shake myself off from making comparison, I have no choice but to dismiss this film as an inferior product. Cheap stuff, but works on some level. Good for video rental, anyway. I hope fans of The Rock will apologize me for that. I am sure he will find a good film that will get better reviews.