Screen Scene

 

The Scorpion King Directed by Chuck Russel Starring
Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Kelly Hu

For those who liked “The Mummy” and “The Mummy
Returns,” the “Indiana Jones”-esque appeal ends
there in this trilogy. “The Scorpion King,” whose
working title was “The Mummy 3,” is only for those who
love Xena, wrestling and corny humor, which all together do
entertain. “Cheesy” is most precise in describing
“The Scorpion King.” Scenes look like pictures from the
cover of romance novels. Kelly Hu, as the Sorceress Cassandra,
makes her predictions with melodramatic seriousness. Seductive
women, barely clothed, make appearances throughout the movie. The
Rock shows off his wrestling moves in comedic combat scenes, pulls
arrows from his back, and professes, “I make my own
destiny.” Unfortunately, one cannot discern if this is
intentional or just a bad job on the part of the moviemakers. The
movie’s slogan, “Warrior. Legend. King,”
describes Mathayus (The Rock), who rises from being a paid assassin
to lead the people against Memnon (Steven Brand), an evil king who
seeks to conquer all and stops at nothing to gain obedience. And
don’t forget the humorous, but dumb, sidekick. Aren’t
we tired of this story yet? Dwayne Johnson, who had a brief cameo
in “The Mummy Returns,” has proven that he can hold his
own with his persona as “The Rock” in the World
Wrestling Federation. However, the movie does not pass beyond the
world of wrestling, with its clichéd situations and lines. If
The Rock does get offered more movie roles, he will at best be the
next Arnold Schwarzenegger (sorry, Arnold). Always a star for
effort and another for the laughs from its extra-cheesiness. Only
watch it to be stupefied and entertained.

Taylor Kim  

“Murder By Numbers” Directed by Barbet
Schroeder Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling,
Michael Pitt

In “Murder By Numbers,” Sandra Bullock plays a
thick-skinned, fast-talking female who parades around her machismo
and likes to have a nice hard drink at the end of the day. What
else is new? Bullock stars as Cassie Mayweather, a homicide
detective and crime specialist. Along with her new partner Sam
Kennedy (Ben Chaplin), she investigates a homicide in the woods. On
the surface, the incident appears to be a random act of violence,
but Cassie doesn’t buy it. There are too many intricacies of
the murder that seem planned rather than spur-of-the-moment. Cassie
becomes absorbed with the finer details of the case and comes up
with a theory unpopular among her colleagues. Instead of going with
the traditional “the burglar panicked” story, she
believes the real culprits are two high school seniors. Going on
nothing more than a hunch, Cassie is set on proving that Richard
Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt)
meticulously orchestrated the murder as a game. To no one’s
surprise, Bullock is the only fleshed out female character in the
film. She usually gets center stage in any film where the major
characters are mostly men (“A Time To Kill,”
“Miss Congeniality”), but these roles do work for her.
Although Cassie’s sharp tongue stings her male counterparts,
somehow she is never truly hated. Newcomers Gosling and Pitt hold
their own in scenes with Bullock. While Chaplin tends to feel like
background, Gosling is the one to charm his way into her head.
Pitt’s Justin may be slow in speech, but there is an aura
about him that is eerily maniacal. Still, the film lacks the
suspense and psychology to make it any more thrilling than a game
of hide-and-seek. With all its potential, “Murder By
Numbers” disappointingly falls short of topping
anyone’s list.

Beverly Braga