The Scorpion King (DVD, 2002, Limited Edition (Contains CD Soundtrack))

Loosely based on a very real ancient Egyptian king, this beautifully-filmed tongue-in-cheek prequel to the fabulously well received Mummy films may have been a letdown for some fans of the Rock, because it relied more on his popular WWE appeal than on plot...but I enjoyed it despite the critic's rantings.

Beautiful cinematography and fabulous desert vistas, and some hilariously campy clowning made this movie a soon-to-be cult favorite. Starring Duane Johnson (the Rock) and Kelly Hu in the lead roles of the Akkadian assassin and the Sorceress, and with a wonderfully talented supporting cast, this movie relies more on the popularity of its cast and the exciting action and fight scenes than plot...and it gets away with it!

I nearly laughed myself sick (probably not the original intention of the producers) and thoroughly enjoyed the fight choreography and action sequences that kept the film from getting bogged down in some fairly silly script work. Perhaps it was not exactly the intent of the screenwriters, because even the serious moments are enough to make you roll off your chair laughing, but without the hilarious antics of the cast, it might have failed to hit its mark.

The breathtaking scenery and the downright funny "serious" moments of the film combined to make it well worth the price of admission...and I highly recommend it to those Rock fans who can get past the silliness and into the fun, with a capital FUN.

Go for it. It's a great flick.