Can a bona fide summer popcorn flick released in the cinematic doldrums of Spring still succeed when it shuns high-priced CGI effects, alienates its source material and pins its hopes on a larger-than-life WWF star with approximately 9 minutes of screen time to his credit?
Apparently so. The finest compliment I’m able to give Chuck Russell’s sword and sand epic “The Scorpion King” is that it’s “better than I thought it would be,” which is high praise, indeed, though it might not sound like it. It’s a judgment I reserve for films victimized by poor marketing campaigns, and prequels to sequels that stunk.Such is the case with “King,” an adequate jolt of brain candy that easily surpasses benchmarks set (actually, lowered) by last summer’s “The Mummy Returns,” which introduced this film’s lead character and gave him a backstory that‘s never referenced here. Instead, “King” stands on its own as the beginning of a franchise, for better or for worse.“King” also resurrects The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) as its hero, Mathayus, who comes to the table with acting experience under his belt. Remember, he got his start in the WWF, after all. And as an action hero, The Rock offers the complete package. He’s brawny enough for the ladies, flippant enough for the dudes, and packs his own heavy metal soundtrack that cues up every time he enters battle. Sure he’s prone to overacting, delivering lines with forced intensity and a Barry White baritone, but the material practically begs just such a reading.Still, Universal lacks 100% faith in their new star, so “King” features an array of supporting characters that balance out the proceedings while shifting some focus off our hard-to-miss star. Equally massive Michael Clarke Duncan co-stars as Balthazar, the leader of a diminished tribe who fluctuates between friend and foe, while the exotic Kelly Hu plays Cassandra, the powerful sorcerer Mathayus is paid to assassinate. The inconsequential plot pits Mathayus against a Napoleonic empire who resembles Russell Crowe, who has a right-hand man who resembles Tom Cruise. It’s eerie.In the grand scheme of things, “King” falls squarely between the first and second “Mummy” films in terms of pure popcorn entertainment. Where “Mummy Returns” plugged up illogical plot holes with disturbingly bad special effects, “King” possesses a low-budget charm. It guarantees the studio a profit, but also proves in the process that a well-cast ensemble is more valuable to a summer blockbuster than an ill-used blue screenFrom opening sequence to climactic (and fiery) battle, “King” establishes itself as a comic-book caper. The fight scenes exude the energy of most Hong Kong imports, and select set pieces pay homage to Spielberg‘s “Indiana Jones” adventures (the one where The Rock runs from a room under the cover of a spinning dish a la “Temple of Doom” stands out in my mind). Still, Russell gets points for creativity despite the familiar material. “King” isn’t afraid to borrow from multiple sources, but it certainly has its own brand of fun. Grade: B-By Sean O’ConnellApril 19, 2002