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.