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 "Pearl Harbor", "Jurassic Park", and "Goin' Coconuts" - what do these movies have in common? That's right
- they are filmed in Hawaii. Not only that, but they lack any actors from Hawaii in starring roles. Not since "Aloha Summer" came out in 1988 with Blaine Kia, Andy Bumatai, and Tia Carerra (her first major motion picture) has a film come out with as many stars from Hawaii as "The Scorpion King." Okay, so it's not set in Hawaii, but
the lead roles belong to Dwayne "Dewey" Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, and former Miss Hawaii and Miss Teen USA Kelly
Hu. What Hawaii connection does the Rock have you ask? Well,
The Rock's Grandpappy was the late great Peter Maivia, legendary Hawaii
wrestler pictured here.
 What makes "The Scorpion King" special for
Hawaii is that it is a mainstream blockbuster film which stars minorities in non-traditional leading roles. When was the last time you had a Samoan action-hero? When was the last time the beautiful sorceress was Chinese? Besides Bette Midler, only Jason Scott Lee and Tia Carerra have had more leading roles in motion pictures. In television Tia Carerra has her own syndicated show, and Anthony Ruivar is becoming a household name on Third Watch. I guess we are making strides in Hollywood.
So what's the buzz on "The Scorpion King?" Here's a brief synopsis of the movie:
 Inspired by the legendary Egyptian warrior, "The Scorpion King" is set 5,000 years ago in the notorious city of Gomorrah, where an evil ruler is determined to lay waste to all the nomadic peoples of the desert. The few remaining tribes, never natural allies, have to unite or perish. Knowing their enemy relies on the visions of a sorcerer, they hire a skilled assassin, Mathayus (The Rock), to eliminate the visionary. After infiltrating the enemy camp, Mathayus discovers that the sorcerer is in fact a beautiful woman (Kelly Hu). Rather than eliminate her, he takes her deep into the desert badlands, knowing that the ruler's henchmen will stop at nothing to rescue her and bring her back. Seriously wounded in the ensuing battle, Mathayus must find the strength to lead his scrappy band of allies back to Gomorrah for a final confrontation.
So get out there and watch "The Scorpion King" and support local actors! Will, Hawaii get any money out of it? Of course not, but if the movie is a flop, we may not see much more
'Hawaiians' in starring roles. Good going Rock and Kelly!
Check out the movie
trailer here. Or visit the official
website here.
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