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The Scorpion King

  • 2002
  • PG-13
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
149K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,434
36
Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Steven Brand, and Dwayne Johnson in The Scorpion King (2002)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:30
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Desert AdventureActionAdventureFantasy

A desert warrior rises up against the evil army that is destroying his homeland. He captures the enemy's key sorcerer, takes her deep into the desert and prepares for a final showdown.A desert warrior rises up against the evil army that is destroying his homeland. He captures the enemy's key sorcerer, takes her deep into the desert and prepares for a final showdown.A desert warrior rises up against the evil army that is destroying his homeland. He captures the enemy's key sorcerer, takes her deep into the desert and prepares for a final showdown.

  • Director
    • Chuck Russell
  • Writers
    • Stephen Sommers
    • Jonathan Hales
    • William Osborne
  • Stars
    • Dwayne Johnson
    • Steven Brand
    • Michael Clarke Duncan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    149K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,434
    36
    • Director
      • Chuck Russell
    • Writers
      • Stephen Sommers
      • Jonathan Hales
      • William Osborne
    • Stars
      • Dwayne Johnson
      • Steven Brand
      • Michael Clarke Duncan
    • 469User reviews
    • 137Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:30
    Official Trailer
    What Roles Has The Rock Turned Down?
    Video 2:54
    What Roles Has The Rock Turned Down?
    What Roles Has The Rock Turned Down?
    Video 2:54
    What Roles Has The Rock Turned Down?

    Photos115

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    + 108
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    Top cast86

    Edit
    Dwayne Johnson
    Dwayne Johnson
    • Mathayus
    • (as The Rock)
    Steven Brand
    Steven Brand
    • Memnon
    Michael Clarke Duncan
    Michael Clarke Duncan
    • Balthazar
    Kelly Hu
    Kelly Hu
    • The Sorceress
    Bernard Hill
    Bernard Hill
    • Philos
    Grant Heslov
    Grant Heslov
    • Arpid
    Peter Facinelli
    Peter Facinelli
    • Takmet
    Ralf Moeller
    Ralf Moeller
    • Thorak
    Branscombe Richmond
    Branscombe Richmond
    • Jesup
    Roger Rees
    Roger Rees
    • King Pheron
    Sherri Howard
    Sherri Howard
    • Queen Isis
    Conrad Roberts
    Conrad Roberts
    • Chieftain
    Joseph Ruskin
    Joseph Ruskin
    • Tribal Leader
    Esteban Cueto
    Esteban Cueto
    • Third Akkadian
    Nils Allen Stewart
    Nils Allen Stewart
    • Torturer
    Scott L. Schwartz
    Scott L. Schwartz
    • Torturer
    • (as Scott Schwartz)
    Andre Henschel
    • Memnon Soldier
    Michael Hilow
    Michael Hilow
    • Guard at Ant Pit
    • (as Mike Hilow)
    • Director
      • Chuck Russell
    • Writers
      • Stephen Sommers
      • Jonathan Hales
      • William Osborne
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In one scene, Dwayne Johnson, lying on his back, springs to his feet. Director Chuck Russell wanted to include a physical feat which only Johnson could perform. Russell said he had never seen a 6-foot, 3-inch man do that.
    • Goofs
      Philos the Alchemist has gunpowder, which he claims is from China. Chinese "firepowder" was developed in the mid-200s BCE, and the movie is set almost 3,000 years before that.
    • Quotes

      Jesup: Live free.

      Mathayus: Die well.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits, only with the Universal logo and the title for the film at the beginning.
    • Alternate versions
      In the UK the distributor, UIP, removed a headbutt in the final fight sequence between Mathayus and Memnon after advice given to them by the BBFC. This was done to obtain a more commercial '12' rating.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Marching-In
      Written by Sho Kosugi

      Performed by The Taiko Drummers

    User reviews469

    Featured review
    8/10

    An enjoyable film that got action, comedy and a love story

    Dwayne Johnson plays a natural-born hero called Mathayus… He starts off as an Akkadian mercenary crossing the ancient lands looking for his brother who is slain before his blazing eyes by a Nordic barbarian horde whose name is Memnon…

    What has kept the vicious tyrant as the absolute conqueror of the land is the fact that he has a visionary sorceress by his side who knows when he should attack his enemies… Mathayus finds out that she's a sexy gorgeous woman who looks amazingly beautiful (Surely the audience is teased ceaselessly by her cleavage-revealing…). So Mathayus forgets his commission to kill her, and a kind of romance begins to flourish between the two as he tries to carry out his assignment…

    Kelly Hu plays Cassandra, the female sorcerer who had beauty, charisma, cleverness, and enigma… In the beginning of the film, we're not quite sure where she stands… But when she first sees Mathayus, she's interested in the well-mannered warrior who's strong, brave, loyal and sincere… She realizes that he might me the future king who can save her from her power-mad jailer…

    As the ruthless conqueror, Memnon (Steven Brand) has got all of the skills needed to attain global domination… He has also got the force and the will to accomplish it… The combination was pretty scary…

    Michael Clarke Duncan plays the fearsome Balthazar, the Nubian King, the strong ally of Mathayus…

    Chuck Russell's "The Scorpion King" is a visual feast, and an entertaining action film… It has sexy harem girls, poison arrows, quicksand, an army of red ants, black scorpions, cobras, explosions, and a lot of fun… So don't miss it!
    • Nazi_Fighter_David
    • Sep 21, 2008
    • Permalink

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    FAQ22

    • How long is The Scorpion King?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the British BBFC 15 Version and the Uncut Version?
    • What is the difference between Mathayus in this film and Mathayus in The Mummy Returns?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 19, 2002 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Germany
      • United States
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Universal Pictures
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El Rey Escorpión
    • Filming locations
      • Yuma, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Alphaville Films
      • BT Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $60,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $91,047,077
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $36,075,875
      • Apr 21, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $180,630,907
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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