Scorpion King tale has little sting

The Scorpion King first made his cameo appearance in the recent box-office bonanza The Mummy Returns. Apparently studio executives were so impressed, they gave the character its own $60m spin-off.

The result is this prequel that traces the historic origin of the Scorpion King. The film chronicles his early days as an Akkadian named Mathayus, sent to assassinate the ruthless warlord Memnon (Steven Brand), to his eventual rise as the ruler of Egypt.

The Scorpion King oozes charisma, with You can hardly dispute that with WWF superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing the lead. Good looking with an imposing physique, he Rock sweeps through the action and special effects. He fights, wrestles and gets a chance to fall in love with sorceress Cassandra, played by comely Kelly Hu of Martial Law fame.

The role is perfectly suited to Johnsons ’physical talents. But he is let down by a lack of style on the part on the filmmaker and uninspired special effects from CGI experts.

The Scorpion King should take a leaf from The Mummy franchise. Whereas the latter was cheeky and fun in an Indiana Jones manner, The Scorpion King seems stylistically out-of-place. The film feels like a modern-day action thriller that has been awkwardly superimposed on an ancient Egyptian setting.

Maybe it is director Chuck Russell’s fault. Having earlier helmed Eraser starring another muscleman (Schwarzenegger), he might have transplanted the mindless fighting and extensive pyrotechnics to his latest work.

Expectations are getting higher all the time: for big-budget blockbusters. Nowadays, audiences want to see more sophisticated special effects and well-choreographed fighting scenes.

Sadly, The Scorpion King fails to make the cut in both areas. The special effects are nothing to boast of, compared to The Mummy (with the possible exception of the sand storm sequence). Moreover, the battle scenes are convoluted and numerous, having the dual effect of making audiences both desensitised and detached. After a while.

The Scorpion King should have been an action blockbuster with bite. Instead this scorpion has to settle for a sting that is not quite lethal enough for most audiences.

(Cert 12, 87 mins). Action. Rating: 2/5