THE SCORPION KING
Violence, sex, and silliness overwhelm this thin adventure.
Should You Watch It?
The answer is no. THE SCORPION KING spends its brief running time on lavish sets, special effects, battles, and silly dialogue, but the story offers little reason for its characters’ actions and almost no meaningful moral development. The source review describes the opening violence as senseless and says the audience laughed at the movie rather than with it.
The content is the larger problem. Violence is presented as exciting fun, while wine, sex, occult power, conquest, and brute force flow easily through the story. Even though the source calls the occult elements minor, the sorceress’s ability to see the future is portrayed convincingly enough that susceptible children might think such power is available to everyone.
Choose another adventure instead. The source specifically recommends INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE or FIRST KNIGHT for stronger moral virtues and better storylines.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESMathayus, an assassin in ancient times, battles the forces of King Memnon, an Egyptian-like ruler who controls the city of Gomorrah. With help from a sorceress who becomes his love interest, Mathayus and his allies face Memnon’s followers in a series of dangerous adventures, eventually seeking to overthrow the king.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means the movie has some visual resources but fails to turn them into a satisfying adventure. A lot of money went into the sets, scenes, and special effects, and the action is plentiful.
The script is thinner than a bad comic book, with dialogue as slight as “Yip” and “aha.” The plot has no real character arc and little rhyme or reason. The adventures seem fabricated to complement the effects. The Rock has a couple of good poses but needs much more acting experience, while Steven Brand is described as a fairly good actor. The movie also jumps strangely from a Viking village to Egypt to Gomorrah.
The Worldview
THE SCORPION KING presents a confused pagan worldview with a bare minimum of moral content. The occult underlies a major part of the story, and the film includes prayers to false gods. The sorceress’s ability to see the future is treated as convincing rather than clearly condemned.
The film’s moral universe is ruled by survival of the fittest. King Memnon’s forces hack up Mathayus’s friends, yet after Mathayus defeats him, those same followers bow down and choose Mathayus as their next king. He wins not through decency, honor, good looks, or intelligence, but through brute force, perhaps aided by the occult sorceress.
The film’s ethnic diversity is also perplexing for the historical setting described, when the groups involved would have been isolated by geography. That choice adds to the movie’s lack of coherence rather than giving the adventure greater substance.
Scripture presents a different foundation: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). THE SCORPION KING instead treats conquest and force as the path to power.
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very confused pagan worldview, with bare minimum of moral content, occultism underlies major story and prayers to false gods; 2 obscenities; extremely excessive violence though not much blood which may be worse for young children who think they can copy these sword fights with impunity includes man gets star embedded in his forehead, limbs hacked off, decapitations, son holds up father’s decapitated head, one tribe slaughters another, lots of falling from great heights, drowning, consumed by sand, being blown to oblivion, stabbings, attack by snakes, beatings, arrows, spearings, castrated by antlers on candelabra, and being buried alive and attacked by fire ants; lots of sexual innuendo with prostitutes and later a harem telling the hero they will show him a good time; the sorceress straddles the hero in a manner that made the audience titter, and several group sex scenes but nothing displayed; several scenes of nudity, woman emerges from bath and her hair barely covers her private parts, many extremely revealing clothes, upper male nudity; alcohol use; no smoking; and, stealing and gambling.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film presents brute force as the way to gain power. What does Scripture say about the difference between worldly strength and godly strength?
Zechariah 4:6 · 2 Corinthians 12:9The story includes prayers to false gods and a sorceress who sees the future. Why does Scripture warn God’s people against occult practices?
Deuteronomy 18:10–12 · Isaiah 8:19The film treats violence as entertainment. How should Christians think about the effect violent images may have on our hearts and actions?
Psalm 101:3 · Philippians 4:8The movie offers almost no moral substance. What qualities does Scripture identify as evidence of a life shaped by God?
Galatians 5:22–23 · Micah 6:8The Final Word
THE SCORPION KING has expensive effects but a miserable script, senseless violence, sexual content, occultism, and almost no moral center. Your family can find a better adventure in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE or FIRST KNIGHT. The answer is clear: SKIP IT.
