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The Scorpion King (2002) DVD Review
The Scorpion King (2002) DVD Credits:
The Scorpion King (2002) Directed by:
Chuck Russell
The Scorpion King (2002) Written by:
Stephen Sommers, William Osborne, David Hayter
The Scorpion King (2002) Cast:
Dwayne Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Bernard Hill, Roger Rees, Ralf Moeller
The Scorpion King (2002) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Scorpion King (2002) DVD Release Date:
1st January 2006
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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The Scorpion King (2002) Synopsis:

There's nothing original in The Scorpion King, but this derivative action franchise gets off to a rousing start by cleverly stealing from a lot of better movies. Capitalizing on his brief cameo in The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. World Wrestling Federation star the Rock) stars as Mathayus, an Akkadian assassin in the age preceding Egyptian pharaohs, who vows to avenge his brother's murder by an undefeated warlord (Steven Brand) prophesied to become the desert-ruling Scorpion King. Their battle for supremacy comprises most of the film's brisk 95-minute running time, punctuated by comic relief from Mathayus's obligatory sidekick (Grant Heslov), romance with a beautiful sorceress (Kelly Hu), and alliance with a massive Nubian (Michael Clarke Duncan) on the eve of their climactic showdown. There's no rhyme or reason to the film's depiction of ancient civilization (the costuming is particularly ludicrous), but the Rock demonstrates adequate action-star potential, and director Chuck Russell (The Mask) wraps it all in a slick, professional package.

The Scorpion King (2002) DVD Review:

Inspired by tales of a legendary Egyptian ruler, The Scorpion King unfolds in a time of hardship and brutality, centuries before the raising of the Great Pyramid. As the story begins, the cruel Memnon, portrayed by Steven Brand, will stop at nothing to become king of the known world. He faces minimal resistance from the few desperate survivors of his scourge-like attacks. Still, a small band of Akkadians, a once-proud clan of assassins, now nearly extinct, has been hired to kill the sorcerer who guides Memnon's deadly hand. However, after accepting this mission, the Akkadians' numbers are quickly reduced to just one - Mathayus (The Rock).

I thought the SCORPION KING was “electrifying”. Of course there’s no original thought or idea to be found in this film, so turn off the brain and enjoy the film. If you haven’t seen enough of The Rock on WWE television than this film is for you. Remember just don’t take it too seriously. THE SCORPION KING provides good entertainment and lots of over the top occurrences.

The Video

THE SCORPION KING appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The video transfer on this film looked spectacular. Sharpness was first-rate. I detected a few signs of jagged edges, but not enough to merit a major concern. The colors appeared in a nicely abounding and glowing pallet. Black levels were deep and rich; shadow detail was clear and dense. Generally THE SCORPION KING offered an absolutely stunning picture transfer.

The Audio

THE SCORPION KING is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. This mix was a very energetic piece. We get a very active sound field from beginning to end with this film. The mix gets the audience nicely involved in this film.

Dialogue was normal with no signs of edginess. By and large, the audio was notable and engaging.

The Extras

-Alternate Version in Enhance Viewing Mode
-Feature Commentary with The Rock: See The Rock as he records the commentary live!
-Feature Commentary with Director Chuck Russell
-Outtakes
-Godsmack Music Video "I Stand Alone"
-Preparing the Fight: A look at the process of shooting a fight sequence
-The Making of The Scorpion King
-The Special Effects
-The Rock and Michael Clarke Duncan
-Ancient World Production Design
-Working with Animals
-Scorpion King: Man Or Myth?
-DVD-ROM Features Including Total Access

Overall

I liked THE SCORPION KING. I thought the DVD offered a fantastic picture, a brilliant surround mix, and a sizeable amount of extras. THE SCORPION KING is a solid flick, and comes highly recommend... if you smell what the ROCK is cooking.

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The Scorpion King (2002) DVD review written by: John Teves

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