Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com Matahyus can't seem to cut a break when it comes to straightforward storytelling. Originally being introduced in The Mummy Returns (2001) played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the character would earn himself enough popularity to warrant a spin-off with Johnson reprising the role in The Scorpion King (2002). Although the prequel explaining the origins of the character had a screenplay that wasn't exactly clear and suffered from goofy acting, it was still a competently made film with steady camera-work and entertaining action sequences. With the success of that, came this entry which sounds interesting but doesn't really have much to offer other than the ability to waste time if needed. Unfortunately, there just isn't much substance to this and it's surprising since this film has 17 more minutes than the original. Although labeled with a "2" in its poster art, this sequel is in fact another prequel. Why does Mathayus have to have such a backward story line?In basic plot the title speaks for itself, it explains (if that's what you call it) how Mathayus (Michael Copon) earned his way up in the ranks from childhood to young adult to overthrow and evil king named Sargon (Randy Couture). If that were the case alone it would be somewhat doable but instead the film suffers from misguided direction headed by Russell Mulcahy (The Shadow (1994) & Highlander (1986)). The story starts out with Mathayus as a kid when his father Ashur (Peter Butler) was alive. However that is quickly thrown to the wayside due to Randall McCormick's screenplay, which focuses much longer than needed on Mathayus in his young adult years on a journey for a powerful artifact. A lot of it is a borefest. Much of the journey is just Mathayus and a few followers going from point A to point B running into obstacle after obstacle. These setups quickly lose their appeal after being done time after time after time.The protagonists in their journey are all right in some respects because of their distinguished personalities. Although Michael Copon as Mathayus is perhaps too young looking for the role, he at least has the physique to look like he's on his way and he can passably act for what it's worth. Along side Mathayus is Layla (Karen David), a childhood friend/potential lover. She's fun to watch in her action sequences but her role is not defined clearly enough. Why include a possible love interest when clearly she would not return in Mathayus' future? Then there's Ari (Simon Quarterman), a Greek poet who runs into Layla and Mathayus and persuade them to find the ancient artifact. Don't expect much for special antagonists though. Randy Couture as Sargon could've possibly pulled off being an okay villain if he had more to do than scowl/stand and speak with an enhanced voice-over. It's obvious that Couture is not acting material but he at least could've done something. Sure he flips over some people but that's about it. Next to him is Natalie Becker as a goddess named Astarte. Although she actually does a couple things like battling and explaining how Sargon got his powers, she's not all that interesting to get to know. What was her motivation to even give Sargon her powers?That's the problem; even with all these issues, if the script was at least written so the audience could relate to Mathayus and his father in some fashion and developed them, perhaps the drama between them would've been more understandable. As mentioned before, the action sequences do have a certain amount of energy thrown into them. Like a lot of other ancient movie settings, sword fights and mystical devices are essential at the minimum and that's at least taken care of. It's not anything special or out of the ordinary in performance but it at least tries. The special effects on other hand looked like they were wasted. There was only one setting which actually looked decent and that was when the protagonists headed into the underworld where the dead becomes apart of the habitat. That at least looked real and like actual creativity went into it. However, that doesn't make up for everything else where every creature was either concealed entirely by darkness or up close camera shots so that the whole image could not be seen. Lame.The cinematography handled by Glynn Speeckaert was adequate however. The entire film does not have wide shots of landscape but for the moments that do, it looks believable. If the setting to this movie takes place in ancient times near Egypt, there has to be a couple of desert shots. It's where this whole spin-off franchise started. The music was a shock on the other hand. Composed by Klaus Badelt (best known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) score), the score was not only forgettable but was also difficult to find physically. The sound is organic but unfortunately lacks any flare the original score by John Debney had with its mix of hard rock and orchestra. It is because of that the music sounds very anonymous with no recognizable signature. Plus since this is a franchise, one would expect some type of main theme by now but nope.It has okay action sequences, distinguishable protagonists, steady camera-work but with only these components that work, it makes this prequel to a prequel spin-off series not all that interesting. Its music is generic, the special effects look last minute, the direction is misguided and its villains are not anything to talk about.

Aodhanrooney Out of my list of favourite and enjoyable mythical, fantasy, ancient historical, or fictional historical movies, this is perhaps one if my worst. Scorpion King: Rise of Warrior, rises nothing to the standard of outweighing it's predecessor, starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The screenplay is messy and doesn't equal enough with the original's in many areas, due to it's overuse of dull and totally In-original dialogue, which leaves the characters underdeveloped and dis-interesting. The only character I found interesting was Ari, played by Simon Quarterman. Quarterman's performance was exceptional, due to his distinguishing voice, which went well with his limited narration in the movie. I just wished the other characters would have got on with him better and more positively, but given that it went the opposite way, it shows how smart and knowledgeable he was, to overcome them and for them to see their own level of lesser knowledge or expertise as a probable weakness. Most of the other characters are outright combatants and sword-wielding figures. The story was almost great, but the screenplay and dialogue failed to live up to it's full potential. I didn't particularly like the acting of leading actor Micheal Copon, whom plays the 'Black Scorpion' champion and vengeful Mathayus, who is on the verge of killing the evil king Sargon, played by Randy Couture. Copon makes us believe that there's nothing remarkably significant about Mathayus (who, myself, at first, was willing to believe he was a superior character and warrior, who appeared acrobatic and skillful in ever way - much like the Prince of Persia), which is disappointing. I found most of the other performances bad as well, with the exception of Quarterman, Andreas Wisnieski and several others, as well. For the audience I can only consider this recommendable if you're a huge fan of the first Scorpion King and if you're willing to continue to follow the story, as more sequels are brought to our attention - I would also, personally, suggest that you think carefully about this one, as it may, predictably, be the movie you weren't hoping for.

tong This movie will be long remembered as one of the worst films ever made. Once the movie starts, one thinks he is watching a movie made sometime in the late 1960's: tacky sets, shoddy props and crude graphics effects. The dialogue however makes you sit upright and bang your head against the wall. Truly, the main protagonists seem to be having fun at the viewers expense. You can almost hear them snickering, then convulse with laughter after the take, incredulous over the dialogue they are forced to spout. There however seem to be some rough gems embedded within these kids. That is, if their acting careers are not vaporized by this terrible movie. As a Filipino i am rooting for Michael Copon. He should however fire his talent manager for taking on this project. One reading of the script (is there one?) should have made this very obvious at the start. I hope he does not get branded for life by this movie.

axopnk 1. Whites comprise much of the civilization b/w the Euphrates and Tigris rivers rather than Arabs/Persians2. If oil is engulfed w/ fire, a handful of dirt can extinguish flaming oil 3. Extinguishing the flames on the wall will stop the flaming oil from spreading on the ground 4. an Indian girl can clearly communicate w/ a Chinese person (who only speaks Chinese) by speaking English 5. Don't trust a Greek 6.Randy Couture forgot that he should never trust a Greek 7. A Chinese acrobat can catch a flaming arrow and then chuck it back at the archer w/ pinpoint accuracy and with more force than a bow 8. All Chinese guys are superbly proficient in martial arts 9. Randy Couture uses black magic 10. Despite knowing black magic, Randy Couture doesn't see that the Greek had no intention of serving him 11. Kings practice MMA w/ their bodyguards 12. Every citizen wears middle-ages clothing. 13. The main city of Arcadia is located in the middle of the desert without any water supplies or fields. 14. Despite how many times you lie to an Chinese guy, he will always follow you, and eventually setup a store in your town. 15.The King's palace is best placed right in front of the city gates. 16.Randy Couture keeps a replica Sword of Damocles on his table. 17. A white woman and an Latin man can produce a half Filipino warrior. 18. If someone is trying to kill you because you told them there would be vast treasure, point them to a single ring and they will leave you alone. 19. If you are hired as the kings bodyguard,he will let you have sex with most of his concubines. 20. If somebody tells you that Underworld is a shortcut to China then you should consider it twice. 21. Prisoners learn English very fast. One second they don't understand it, the other second they do. 22. Even if you don't look like your father, people who are in debt to him will recognize you as his son. 23. Everyone spoke English in Egypt and used words like "agitated" 24. If you are a queen of power, you must talk slowly, real slow. So slow in fact, that you ensure all viewers have disappeared for a coffee and cake only to return to the next scene when, supposedly something else is supposed to happen. 25. The King's veteran elite personal guard can be taken out by a new single Black Scorpion and his untrained brother. 26. Even though tea was discovered 1000BC, the Accadians knew of it. As Mathayus mentions " a cup of tea" at the end. 27. If I don't want to marry my arranged fiancé, I can run away, steal my dowry, and return back to my village as if it were no big deal. 28.Getting branded by hot branding iron leaves no smoke. 29. If you're enough of an acrobat, and have the aid of a bumbling Greek poet, you can catch a magically spinning sword without losing a hand or even getting a cut.