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Amazon.co.uk Review
Not quite the large-scale epic it promised to be, Reign of Fire is still an enjoyable entry in the post-catastrophe genre. It opens in present-day London with a boy witnessing the rebirth of the race of dragons, who are supposed to have wiped out the dinosaurs and now devastate the world again. Skipping the collapse of society with a montage of magazine articles about the world in flames, we jump into the future where the remnants of humanity cower in enclaves and fire-breathing raggedy-winged bat-lizards prowl the land. Christian Bale commands a castle in Northumberland, trying to preserve humanity, while Matthew McConaughey is an iron man warrior intent on tracking down and destroying the dragon king, making for a hero-against-hero clash of values which, for a change, finds the British preserver of life, rather than the Yankee animal-killer, getting the girl and the glory.
The film consists mostly of scrabbling about in the ruins, and it rather skimps on the big dragon battles the script seems to demand. There's little here that hasn't been done before in The Day of the Triffids on television or that slew of Italian Mad Max imitations of the early 1980s. But director Rob Bowman (The X-Files) and a good cast handle themselves well, and the few times that the dragons do show up they deliver an acceptable burst of fiery horror. --Kim Newman
On the DVD: Reign of Fire has a fairly perfunctory set of additional features on disc. A brief (under 10 minutes) making-of documentary consists mainly of computer geek animators obsessing about CG effects; back in the real world, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" looks at the on-set pyrotechnics. Director Rob Bowman chats affably about the project in a separate interview. Trailers for the movie and video game form the balance. The subdued (ie. gloomy) colours come up well in the anamorphic widescreen print, and the evocative soundscape is suitably full of sub-woofer-friendly rumblings, thuddings and explosions. --Mark Walker
Product Description
Rated: 12 - Suitable only for persons of 12 years and over.
Language: Some moderate
Sex/Nudity: None
Violence: Infrequent, moderate
Theme/Contents: Moderate fantasy horror
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not exactly scorching hot but good all the same.,
By
This review is from: Reign Of Fire [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
This had the potential to be another terrible dragon flick, but it's actually pretty good, and an all star cast deliver a film that's much better than the sum of its parts.
Christian Bale and Gerrard Butler appear alongside Matthew McConaughey and the gorgeous Isabella Scorupco, and as you'd expect the acting is solid from Bale who (as always) gives 110% in the lead role. McConaughey character is a little over the top - but hey - just go with it. The scorched earth scenery looks great on screen and the dragons look good too. The story isn't incredible but it's solid, watchable and sets up the premise for a film with dragons in a new a interesting way. All in all the whole thing is very watchable. I'm not going to do a huge in depth review for this. It doesn't really warrant it. All you need to know is that this film doesn't deserve to be scoffed at. It's certainly no B-movie and is actually very credible. If you found this review helpful please give it the thumbs up. Thanks :-)
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much-maligned, misunderstood gem,
By The Ghost of Blaise Cendrars (Somewhere between this world and the next) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Reign Of Fire [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
I think a lot of people have approached this movie with skewed expectations. The way it was promoted - first at the cinema, then later on DVD - clearly didn't help. It isn't an effects-laden blockbuster. Nor is it really about dragons. It's about a small group of survivors besieged by a largely absent yet ever-threatening foe. Led by Christian Bale's character, Quinn, this group are so desperate simply to survive - not to get attacked, not to starve - they can hardly bear to leave the fortress they've barricaded themselves in, let alone contemplate fighting back...until the Americans arrive, that is.
The parallels with World War Two are obvious. The dragons are seemingly invincible. They have already laid waste to most of the world. The besieged British believe they are all alone. When the Americans at last appear, they are greeted with mingled relief and scepticism. Once you accept this as the movie's premise - I would argue - it makes much more sense. It's far grittier than the film-studio promotion would lead you to think. It also has a far more serious point: that it isn't enough simply to survive, evil has to be confronted even if that means walking directly into its lair. I suspect the money men thought it would be a better 'sell' if they packaged it as a blockbuster. Which isn't to say it doesn't have some thrilling set-pieces. But the build-up to these set-pieces, the sense of menace, is equally as important. This movie is all about restraint. The colour palette is limited mainly to blues and greys, giving the whole thing a very bleak feel. The dialogue - criticised by many reviewers - is actually pretty decent, precisely because it holds back from popcorn-movie cliche. Likewise, the movie avoids sentimentality. The romantic sub-plot is realistically understated: the lovey-dovey stuff has to wait until the fighting is done. I also think it's important to point out that the movie has a 12 rating - so, naturally, it isn't going to be as violent or as scary as some people would perhaps wish. It's not the most original or profound movie you'll ever see, and Christian Bale's accent might grate a little at times, but 'Reign of Fire' is far better than most of the reviews give it credit for. Personally, I loved it the first time I saw it, immediately bought a copy, and still think it's great years later. Don't listen to the sneerers - decide for yourself.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mis-Advertised,
By PyroSikTh (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Reign Of Fire [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
I love this film. It shows the very human struggle to survive after they've been knocked from the top of the food chain. It blends medievil mythology with a modern era breathlessly. Definately an original take on Man vs Dragon. Now to get this straight, this is a film about Humans, not about Dragons. The dragons merely supply the unique reason for the apocalypse. This is a film about the post-apocalypse, not the apocalypse. It's not about skies full of Dragons turning worldwide armed forces into ash on an epic scale. It's not about Dragons setting the world, quite literally, on fire. It's about after all that's happened.
Which is a shame this was advertised as a film about Dragons burning all life as we know it. Of course, everyone goes in expecting to see 90 minutes of Dragons destroying everything. If this had been advertised as a more human film about after these Dragons have completely wasted eveything, I really think this could've been seen as a good film. It unfortunately set expectations high in the wrong sort of viewers by a mind-blowingly epic trailer. Christian Bale, Gerard Butler and Matthew McConaughey all deliver their role superbly, and the script isn't as bad as it's made out to be either. The effects were great and the Dragons do look pretty realistic, to the point I almost believed this was a documentary. Okay, so there are some plotholes, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to fill those in yourself. I mean, does everything have to be explained so obviously? The only reason this film gets 4 stars and not 5 is because, being a film about human struggle, it could've done with a bit more character development. Other than that, it's a deeply entertaining, well-acted, suspenseful film. Don't knock it before you see it for yourself.
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