The Scorpion King

Factual error: In the very beginning of the movie, when Mathayus rescues Jesup, he fires several arrows at Jesup's would-be executioners, and the targets of these arrows fly backward, across the room, and smash out the side of the building. I don't think I need to go into a detailed discussion of physics on this. (00:02:00)

Factual error: All swords in this movie are made from steel, and in the beginning it's said that the film takes place years before the Pyramids were built (they were built around 3200 BC). Steel wouldn't be around for 2000 more years. (00:03:50 - 00:12:40)

Factual error: In this movie, camels seem to be a common sight in Egypt. However, these animals did not appear in the Nile valley until ca 8-900 BC - more than 2,000 years after this movie takes place. (00:08:10)

Continuity mistake: When Memnon is talking to the sorceress in his palace, he talks about the dangers of her being outside "his care." Memnon takes some meat and throws it to the tigers. The next shot shows his hand empty, then holding meat again, and then empty again. (00:20:30)

The Scorpion King mistake picture

Revealing mistake: When Mathayas is chasing the kid who stole his rupees, he crawls into a hole that's just big enough for him to fit through. But when Mathayas crawls in, the hole has grown - he should have only been able to fit on his stomach, but he goes through on his knees. (00:25:15)

Continuity mistake: When The Rock first enters the scientist's room, the scientist explains to the child about his magic powder. This is on a device that's slowly turning and sifting off a little of the powder at a time, yet during one cut away and back, a lot more powder seems to have disappeared off the mechanism than it would have pushed off itself. (00:27:00)

Factual error: The scientist claims that he is working on a magic powder (gunpowder) that was devised by the Chinese. Firstly, the Egyptians had no knowledge of the Chinese in those times and secondly, the Chinese didn't invent the gunpowder for at least another 4,000 years. (00:27:00)

Continuity mistake: When Mathayus is launched out of the catapult, he is shot out of the window and lands in another room in the castle. A few shots later, the catapult is shown again but it is in the cocked position. The scientist was busy with his gunpowder and avoiding the guards - he wouldn't have re-set it, surely? (00:30:30)

Revealing mistake: When Cassandra first swishes her way out of the water, a circular plaster is visible on her left breast, making sure she does not expose her nipple. (00:31:45)

Jon Sandys

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Cassandra and Mathayus get out of the well after falling through the tub. When they are showing Mathayus from the back of his head his hair looks wet all over but when they show his face, the hair on his head looks dry while the long parts of the hair is still wet. His face has also been dried off when last seen. (00:34:10)

Factual error: When the guards go into the cave to find Mathayus, and after a guard says "stay on the rocks," a shot shows the feet walking along the rocks. One of the guards is clearly wearing white laces in his shoes. The other is wearing leather laces. (00:42:35)

The Scorpion King mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Mathayus is stabbed with the poison arrow, it goes into the side of his right thigh, but when he removes his bandage after Cassandra has healed him, he checks the front of his left thigh just above his kneecap for the injury. (00:45:05 - 00:48:05)

The Scorpion King mistake picture

Other mistake: In the scene where Mathayus happens upon the hide out of Balthazar and his people and are confronting one another, Balthazar's necklaces change from being messily arranged to neatly graduated in frame to frame. Surely he wouldn't have been rearranging the necklaces while confronting the Arcadian? (00:53:20)

Continuity mistake: After Matathyus (The Rock) finishes fighting with Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan), Balthazar is sort of sitting down while Matathyus is standing. You see blood all over Balthazar's mouth. Then the shot goes back and forth between Matathyus and Balthazar three times. Each time there's not the same amount of blood in Balthazar's mouth. (00:55:10)

The Scorpion King mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After the fight scene between Mathyus and Balthazar and the tribe celebrating, you see Arpid arm wrestling a woman. In the first shot he is wrestling with his left arm and in the next shot he is wrestling with his right arm and loses. (00:56:15)

Continuity mistake: The handlers place four snakes in the pots without putting the lids back on. Then Memnon steps forward and covers the two empty pots - suddenly the snake pots are covered. (01:08:00)

Phoenix

Other mistake: In the rebel village toward the end of the movie, Balthzar's scar on the left side of his face keeps changing. Sometimes the scar is barely there and others it is only partially there. (01:13:40)

Audio problem: When Mathayus and his friends are attacking Memnon's palace, there is a scene where Memnon's general rides at Balthazar on a horse, but then falls off. Balthazar holds a spear at his neck. The shot then changes so we can't see the general and he stabs him and he screams loudly. But if the spear went through his neck (as it should have, as it didn't move anywhere but down) he should not have been able to scream. (01:16:55)

Continuity mistake: At the end, when Mathayus is battling Memnon, he is punched and falls off the little ledge they are on. you can clearly see him falling face first, but in the next shot he lands on his right side breaking a table. (01:18:25)

Arpid: Let me tell you, after a hard day of looting and pillaging, there is no greater city than Gomorrah... except maybe Sodom.

More quotes from The Scorpion King

Trivia: Did anyone else pick up the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom rip-off/reference? When Mathyus is in the harem of Lord Memnon and the archers come in, he cuts the gong off the wall and runs behind it as a shield, while the guards shoot at it in vain. He then busts out the window and jumps out of it.

More trivia for The Scorpion King

Question: In Roger Ebert's review, he says "...Mathayus intones, 'As long as one of us still breathes, the sorcerer will die.' See if you can spot the logical loophole." I can't - what's the problem with that line?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: By the way Mathayus is saying it, it sounds like he is saying as long as him or the sorcerer still breathes, either he or the sorcerer will die, but he is trying to say as long as one of the Akkadians are breathing, they will not stop trying to kill the sorcerer until he is dead.

T Poston

More questions & answers from The Scorpion King

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