Cast:Michael Copon, Karen David, Randy Couture, Pierre Marais Dir: Russell Mulcahy Rating: 1/5

The Scorpion King 2 uncovers the origins of the 2002 summer blockbuster which starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Mathayus, the most fearsome desert warrior of the ancient world. Reaching deep into the past, this prequel begins with the king as a 13-year-old peasant boy (Michael Copon) who witnesses the kidnapping and death of his father at the hands of the terrifying Sargon (played by towering UFC Heavyweight Randy Couture). Thirsty for vengeance, young Mathayus trains at the Order of the Black Scorpion to sharpen his skills as a killing machine, then journeys to the underworld to retrieve the one sword that can help him defeat Sargon.

Ok lets face it the only reason there was a spin of Scorpion King movie in the first is because The Mummy franchise had bagged Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the role when he appeared in The Mummy Returns, and even then the spin off came as a bit of surprise. So a sequel to the sequel let's just say we weren't holding much hope.

The Scorpion King was a guilty pleasure of many and the charisma of The Rock did a lot to drag the film along despite a bit of a naff script and plot, however that lightening bolt of an enigmatic leading man that saves a movie doesn't strike twice.

While there is nothing particularly wrong with the young Michael Copon there's nothing much right with him either his performance is just a bit 2D and boring and the chemistry with his childhood friend Astarte, played by the lovely Karen David, seems a bit forced and unbelievable, and where their relationship goes does seems a bit predicable.

Randy Couture of UFC fame tries his hand at the acting game as villain Sargon but, as you may expect, with little success in fact it's painful to watch and leaves you wondering what they were thinking when they cast him and you pray for his ultimate demise which outs him, and you, out of your misery.

If you thought the previous Scorpion King was a little bit far fetched it's not a patch on this travelling to the Underworld to find a sword, I mean what? It's just a jumbled up mess that looks like it has just been thrown together to make a bit of money.

Add on top of that really poor special effects, yes it gets worse, and this poor piece of cinema is complete. The scorpion in particular at the end of the film really is a master class in how not to do special effects it really is very poor, which is surprising for a series of movies, and this includes The Mummy, that has had so much success in the past in this area.

Scorpion King 2: The Rise of a Warrior is out on DVD now.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw