Reign of Fire (2002)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers (WGA):

Gregg Chabot (story) &
Kevin Peterka (story) ...

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Fight Fire With Fire

Plot:

A brood of fire-breathing dragons emerges from the earth and begins setting fire to everything, establishing dominance over the planet.

Plot Keywords:

Dragon | Fire Breathing Dragon | Fire | Castle | Crossbow

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 10	3:00 PM	AMC
Wed. Nov. 11	4:17 AM	AMC

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Quinn Abercromby
Matthew McConaughey	...	Denton Van Zan
Izabella Scorupco	...	Alex Jensen
Gerard Butler	...	Creedy
Scott Moutter	...	Jared Wilke (as Scott James Moutter)
David Kennedy	...	Eddie Stax
Alexander Siddig	...	Ajay
Ned Dennehy	...	Barlow
Rory Keenan	...	Devon
Terence Maynard	...	Gideon
Doug Cockle	...	Goosh
Randall Carlton	...	Burke (Tito)
Chris Kelly	...	Mead
Ben Thornton	...	Young Quinn
Alice Krige	...	Karen Abercromby

Also Known As:

El reinado del fuego (Argentina) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
Le règne du feu (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
2084 - Die Herrschaft des Feuers (Austria) [de]
Ates kralligi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Carstvo vatre (Croatia) [hr]
Die Herrschaft des Feuers (Germany) [de]
Dragejægerne (Denmark) [da]
Drakarnas rike (Sweden) [sv]
El imperio del fuego (Spain) [es]
Il regno del fuoco (Italy) [it]
Reino de Fogo (Brazil) [pt]
Salamander (Japan: English title) [en]
To vasileio tis fotias (Greece) [el]
Tulelinn (Estonia) [et]
Tulen valtakunta (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense action violence.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Malaysia:U | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39148) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Japan:R | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Spyglass Entertainment

Trivia:

The method by which the dragons expel fire was inspired by two actual animals; the spitting cobra and bombardier beetle.

Goofs:

Continuity: The wound on Quinn's chin after the fight with Van Zan changes position in the following scene.

Quotes:

Quinn Abercromby: Anything happens, you know what to do.
Creedy: Uh no. I have no idea.
Quinn Abercromby: Me neither.

Movie Connections:

References The Terminator (1984)

Soundtrack:

Walk Away

Ashes to Ashes!

The usual quota of "surface reviews" here. Are we living in a totally one-dimensional society these days that has no time now for unsupported fantasy - "Just the facts Ma'am, Just the facts!"

We have here an adult fairytale no less, yet what do I read (and I include paid media critics here) but absurd negative comments such as "How did McConaughey and his intrepid band of marines come up with the fuel to cross the atlantic?" "Why are the children seemingly so well fed in a period of pestilence?" "Where does the seemingly limitless fuel come from?" etc etc. Who CARES????????? this is a DRAGON fantasy for God sakes! Someone want to set up a Government enquiry as to why fairies speak English? the possibility that Humpty Dumpty had a middle-ear infection? Perhaps the Easter Bunny has some communicable diseases that he should be tested for?

Ok REIGN OF FIRE is not up there with other sci-fi classics and the marketing department should be answering charges of misrepresentation for that poster showing an aerial armada of helicopters battling the fire-breathing beasties over central London - that just never happens but I gotta tell you REIGN OF FIRE has some of the greatest set designs and cinematography I have ever seen. It is extremely interesting to LOOK at from a technical viewpoint. The dragons themselves make the least interesting contribution to the film and except for the final confrontation which almost "gets there" they are really secondary to the film itself. If you were to actually record the amount of dragon "screen time" I doubt it would be 18 minutes....and most of them are not far off laughable. Curiously, that aspect alone should have wrecked it for me...but it didn't - I found the "wasteland asharamas" totally credible and involving.

I thought the much maligned McConaughey's role not without interest. Still haven't worked out whether or not "Mad Matt" was supposed to be some hybrid creation - part Patton, part Maximus, part Captain Ahab or just all "grunt." He certainly handled his last solo flight with flair and derring-do. Basil Rathbone himself never swung a meaner sword! Christian Bale replete with his best "know wot I mean" brit accent was pretty good I thought as Quinn the reluctant colony leader. What I couldn't believe is how the years have treated Izabella Scorupco the most beautiful Bond girl I ever saw (GOLDENEYE). I realise that a decade of fighting dragons and close-contact aeriel combat takes a lot out of a girl but she looked 20 years older! I would never have recognised her. Totally shattered an illusion I have maintained of her. If she said "Boys with Toys" now, I think I'd need a double vodka-martini!

But I digress. The dragon fx were just so-so, they saved the best for last sensibly. The script had its moments but the production work and set-design were simply awesome...SO good in fact, the rest of the film really didn't matter! Overall I would bequeath it a 6.9. Worth seeing if one is prepared to watch it in the spirit that it was made.