Customer Reviews

Reign of Fire

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(98)
3 star:		(80)
2 star:		(49)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

I honestly do not understand all the bad reviews that Reign of Fire received when it opened. Most people expected an Independence Day style brainless special effects vehicle and instead they got a slow paced character driven sci-fi flick. I guess these are the same people who thought XXX was a masterpiece. Anyway, I love Reign of Fire for everything it is and isn't. Matthew McConaughey (who it is great to see in another great movie without Hollywood gloss, see Frailty to see what I mean) brings to life one of his best roles in the dragonslaying Van Zan, while Christian Bale proves once again that he isn't just female eye candy (for another example see American Psycho). Both actors are fantastic, while X-Files film director Rob Bowman moves the film at a purposely slow pace so that every time we get a glimpse of a dragon it leaves the viewer wanting more and eventually getting it. The dragons themselves must be seen to be believed, they breathe, move, and stalk like one would imagine a dragon would in real life. All in all, Reign of Fire is a masterful high grade B-movie that shines without the Hollywood gloss, and is a true treat of a film.

A London construction project uncovers a horrible secret and a young boy loses his mother at the same time. A tunnel project has awakened a dragon. Soon they breed like rats and proceed to burn civilization and all life into oblivion. They have been here before but we did not recognize the signs. Their attack is so quick that years later humanity is all but completely wiped out.

The young boy is now a young man and in charge of a group of refugees trying to reestablish themselves. Dragons are getting desperate as their food supply is almost completely gone. But internal and external forces combine to bring great change. Some residents are losing faith and want to go against the community's plan. A group of American military arrive and they specialize in killing dragons. They also have a crazy plan for getting rid of the dragons for good but they need more men.

This tale of survivors facing impossible odds with an iron will to survive is well crafted and easily rewatchable. The acting is good while the effects are excellent. but this is not a movie about dragons, it is a movie about people and how they deal with adversity. Although the movie is really about people, the dragons are wonderful and full of menace. Definitely worth watching.

Sure, this movie is a mish-mash of Mad Max, King Arthur, and Dragonslayer. Sure there are holes and a few question marks in the plot. But then again...we're watching a movie about dragons and the people who live in a future time where dragons rule so, why question it to begin with?
I was afraid of seriously cheesey dragon effects a la Dungeons and Dragons, but WOW was I pleasantly surprised! The creatures were well textured and moved almost cat-like. The fire they breathed didn't look all pixellated like a lot of fire done with CGI. That all combined to deliver a good-looking (?) set of monsterous dragons.
The sound was probably the best I've heard in a long time. The theater I saw it in is set up for Dolby Digital surround...and let me tell you: this movie made FULL use of the sound system!!! Dragons flying all around you..and when they growled..whoa..puts a shiver down your spine!!!
Go see it, don't believe it....just enjoy it. The actors are all excellent, even though at times the British actors's accents were so thick it made understanding them all but impossible. This movie is around 1 hr. and 40 minutes long...not too short and not too long...but long enough enjoy the heck out of yourself!!!

I won't beat about the bush: I LOVED THIS MOVIE! It was so exciting, I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. At times, I even began to cheer!

I've been stuck in bed sick these last few days and I've had to endure watching some dreadful movies in that time. But this was a great change from those. Out of all the movies I've watched lately, this was far and away the best one.

The storyline of this movie is not entirely original--it definitely borrows elements from Mad Max, George A. Romero's Day of the Dead, and John Wyndham's book The Day of the Triffids. But all three of those were absolutely brilliant, and so is this.

I noticed that one Amazon reviewer complained that they could not understand the accents in this movie. Well, I would advise that reviewer to get their hearing checked because I didn't have a problem with the accents at all. If you can't understand the occasional very mild Scottish accent, you really need to get a life. FYI, though, most of the characters in this speak with an English or American accent, neither of which should be too hard for persons of average intelligence to understand.

I also read reviews that claimed there were too few dragons and not enough drama in this movie. Jeeze, those reviewers so didn't get it. As I saw it, there was a good reason why the dragons weren't onscreen the whole time and it had to do with building drama: the drama was actually in the 'when will the dragons come, will they find us, oh God, is that just the wind outside or the sound of a dragon coming to get us, aaargh!' type suspense. Silence of the Lambs didn't just feature Hannibal Lector and the other serial killer slaughtering people all the way through it--it relied on the suspense factor, the 'what will happen next?' feeling, the build up, the psychology. Suspense = drama, and in this movie, if the dragons were on screen the whole time, you'd lose that. (Be assured, though, that plenty of dragons do appear, and when they do, they're awesome!) Also, the reviewers seemed to miss the scintillating psychological drama of the 'enemy within' component of the story. The people living in the fortress were unsure about whether the well-armed and scary looking American soldiers they were letting into their midst were friends or foe. Were these new humans in fact more dangerous to them than the dragons outside? That was the same thing I loved about Romero's 'Day of the Dead', and I thought it worked well in this movie too. Let's face it, some people are scarier than the worst of Hollywood monsters, and the military certainly has its fair share of these people.

I could go on for hours pointing out the flaws in some of the other reviews, but I won't bother. If people want to be dumb, let 'em. There are some logic gaps in this movie's script, sure, but not nearly as many as the other reviewers say. Watch this for the entertainment value, not just to nitpick, and you won't be disappointed.

I loved the sense of humour in this movie--it may be set in a grim 'end of the world' scenario where the few survivors are forced to live in almost medieval conditions, but the people prove that they can still have a laugh and keep themselves entertained. (You MUST check out the 'Star Wars' panto they put on, it's an absolute hoot.)

The cast is top notch. Matthew McConaughy is awesome, and such an over-the-top gung-ho army guy that he's almost scarier than the dragons. Christian Bale is inspiring--he's strong, but at the same time very human and vulnerable, a good guy caught in a very bad situation. And Gerard Butler is as lovely as he always is in movies, and yet, very tough and heroic--girls, as if you needed another reason to watch this, there it is!

There was never a slow moment in this movie. The action was brilliant, the fiery explosions were good and big and loud, and the special effect that allows us to see the world through a dragon's eyes was pretty cool. But the coolest part was when you get to see the world through the eyes of guys who are falling from a helicopter without a parachute whilst trying to hunt a dragon--I've got a fear of heights, but even I couldn't look away, it was so compelling.

Watch this, I urge you, but be warned--you might wear out the edge of your seat! And your lungs, too, as you cheer the heroes on.

Talk about major disppointments and wasted potential! Here we have a very interesting (and promising) opening scene where a dragon is accidentally unearthed in an underground London excavation site and escapes. THEN, the director (for whatever lame reasons) immediately segues into a brief newspaper montage, describing how more dragons have emerged and eventually annhiliated most of the world.THEN, it's twenty years later. WHAT? COME AGAIN? Let's rewind a moment, and allow me to ask a really dumb question: HOW COME THAT WASN'T THE STORY? It doesn't sound too dull to me. That's what those deceptive posters and trailers conveyed. Why didn't this tepid production have the guts to stick to its guns?When it jumps twenty years ahead, it then becomes like a cable series; that medicore kind where the pilot episode seems highly promising, but only to go downward from there. At this droll point, everything worth seeing has already happened. Party's over, you can go home now. How's that for true excitement?I was all geared up to want to know what happened right after the first one escaped and how all the others came to be. It would have also been compelling to have crucial scenes where the scientists come to discover that the dragons were responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs and the start of the ice age. (Imagine surreal flashbacks that actually SHOW THIS, instead of just 'mentioning it in passing'). Thus, the film would be more than just two hours of dragon breath and barbequed mankind. I would have also been very curious to SEE how the human race fought them - and lost (as chillingly depicted in that TIME mag cover of NYC in flaming ruins with those ominous words: THE END?). That was the suspenseful and terrifying film I wanted to see, instead of this dismal effort which only boasts fleeting moments of action. Also, WHERE WERE THE DRAGONS? All I saw were what appeared to be birds in the distance; nothing too threatening or scary about that. Obviously, we now live in the disconcerting cinematic age of the LOST OPPORTUNITY. Isn't it a pity?PREQUAL, ANYONE?

I'm sure the title of my letter has created a groaning noise all across the net, since there are so many movies that should have been shortened by three hours at least. However, this movie could have been enormous if ample time had been available to really explore its story.

After reading other reviews, most seemed satisfied with the visual effects,were less than thrilled about the heavy accents,were even less thrilled wth the plot, but still couldn't go all the way to disliking the movie. I had the exact same response to Minority Report, which I forgot within 10 minutes of my theater exit. Throughout my Reign of Fire experience, I was amazed at how strongly I could feel the plight of the characters, particularly those in the background like the small children who were powerless against the threat that they faced. When attacked by the male dragon, with fire engulfing the last bastion of hope they had, there was an absolutely apocalyptic weight in the air, and I appreciated the efforts of everyone involved in creating that, because it's rare now to ever feel more involved in a movie plot than you would in the average Lottery commercial on T.V. You know; the one where there's only one winner, it's obviously not you, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't jump for joy about it.

The explanation of events in the movie was believable, and they did a relatively good job of getting themselves out of the bind the trailer got them in; namely explaining how 40 people were going to defeat millions of dragons while resorting to such tactics as jumping off of rooftops with battle axes. However, I would like to have seen a lot more of the backstory portrayed on film, and a much more involved, developing resistance to the dragons resulting in far more unsuccessful rebellion attempts of increasing complexity and danger. The film felt really short, like there was so much ground to cover and such a mountain of a premise to overcome, and thus, defeating a million dragons was factored down to defeating just one real...dragon. I'd have taken the risk and played out a plotline based on the trailer's premise; it would have made the movie all it could have been.

I agree with the consensus that there should have been far more interaction with the dragons themselves at a much closer range than what we saw. They ultimately appeared to be little more than a plot device scripted in to add urgency to the relationship between the lead characters. This was a major flaw, similar to but not as devastating as seen in that $98 million Heckle and Jeckle movie with the cameo by Godzilla. I was also not amused by the party scene with the Jimi Hendrix music playing in the background. Yes the roof is on fire, but hopefully because of the dragons, not because the music was funky. The intensity of the situations depicted simply demanded more in-depth experiences than we were given.

All in all, Reign of Fire was enjoyable for what it was, even with knowledge of what it COULD have been. Sure, it borrowed from Jurassic Park, possibly Waterworld, and practically worshipped both The Terminator and Mad Max, but the premise, character acting, effects, and atmosphere more than made up for this. You may still groan at the title of my letter after what I've said, but for those who have seen it already, just think of what could have been done with this given the same running time as Lord of the Rings. For those who have yet to see it, see it now. Don't wait for the DVD, so you can be robbed of said atmosphere and the catastrophic power of many of its scenes...

I admit this movie wasn't designed to win any Oscars, it was meant to enjoy. Reign of Fire is a horrific vision of the future where mankind struggles to survive as dragons rage across the planet, destroying all they come across. Only a few humans have managed to live, by going underground and living a hand to mouth existence. I won't give away much more because I don't want to blow the movie with any spoilers.

Mathew McConaughey transformed himself in this movie, looking different than ever before, playing against his normal type, and it works to perfection. Christian Bale is also strong in this movie. As the leader of the British survivors, he shines in his quiet heroism. The special effects aren't anything earthshaking, but they're good. My only question with the special effects was why do the dragons have holes in their wings?

The story line leaves a few plot gaps, but like I said, it wasn't meant to be art, it was meant to be what it is: an action charged, explosive packed, fun filled, blood and fire packed movie, that's great for the action movies buff in all of us.

Highly recommended!

Gerard Butler brings a sensitivity to the movie, as well as the courage and bravory of a "Knight".
The movie is for the "thinking man", the bad reviews are not to be considered. This film seems true to life in believe-ability; the dragons could not have been more "real" in looks movements and fire breathing action; in flight they are magnificent!
The men are wonderful with the children, in keeping them strong and unafraid in there horrowing situation. They are as men Should be these days, protective of their women and children.
The costumes are rustic and real.
The movie can be compared to "King Author" in style. A Great action movie, mystical, gritty and Wonder-full.

This movie was one of the best movies I have ever seen!

The special effects are some of the best. The dragons were excellent. Both me and my brother agree that they don't look mythical or fictional, they look like they really could become real one day. The way they move was very realistic, and even the way they "breath" fire is amazing.

The actors were great. Christian Bale did a fantastic job as Quinn. Matthew (I can't spell his last name) did very well as rag-tag dragonslayer Van Zan.

The cinematography was also good. Although the dragons were computer-generated, they looked like they were really there, especially because the actors seem to look straight at them.

I highly recommend this movie. It is great for preteens, teens, and adults. I wouldn't recommend this as a family movie or for kids under 9. There ISN'T that much language, or blood, but it can get very brutal and violent, as well as scary.

If you haven't seen it, rent it. If you have rented it and liked it, I recommend you buy it.

**1/2 "Reign of Fire" is a no-more-than-passable sci-fi monster movie, strong on production values and special effects and weak on just about everything else. Once again we have the typical gray-and-khaki hued post-apocalyptic world filled with burnt out cities, roaming bands of grimy-faced survivors, and enough soot, dirt and rust to make the audience feel the need for a shower once they get out of the theatre (in other words, the "Mad Max" look).

The apocalypse in this case comes in the form of a race of fire-breathing dragons that are awakened from their millennia-long state of dormancy thanks to a deep-drilling construction project in downtown London. We are told that these ash-eating dragons hibernate for eons at a time waiting for the earth to replenish itself before embarking on another mission of total bio-global destruction. This is, in fact, the explanation for the demise of the dinosaurs, though, if this were indeed the case, one might question just how this species managed to so completely avoid leaving any evidence of its existence in the fossil record. In this kind of movie, it is probably best not to ask questions of this sort and to just go along with the sheer inanity of it all.

The first specimen to be unleashed is discovered by a young London lad named Quinn Abercrombie who, 18 years later, has grown up to be the hunky Christian Bale, leader of a group of survivors holed up in a kind of mountainside fortress with very little hope for a future. That is, of course, until one fateful day when "Dragon Slayer" Denton Van Dan (Matthew McConaughey) makes his sooty-faced appearance. From then on it becomes a battle of the minds and muscles between these two strong-willed individuals who have decidedly different ideas about how best to ensure the survival of the human race.

Movies like "Reign of Fire" pretty much preclude any real critical analysis. Suffice it to say that the special effects and art direction are quite impressive throughout, the dialogue bland and purely functional, and the performances adequate to the admittedly rather unchallenging task. And the characters are at least allowed to show their human side at times, displaying various amounts of fear, uncertainty and emotional vulnerability even at those moments when they are having to be at their most daring and heroic. There is one truly inspired scene in which two of the adults beguile the children by acting out the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader "I am your father" confrontation scene from "The Empire Strikes Back." More clever moments like that would have helped make "Reign of Fire" a more distinctive film than it currently is.

Oh well, if nothing else, the theatre-shaking soundtrack is enough to keep you awake, if not exactly interested, at all times. But cranking up the volume is often the first indication that a movie has very little else to offer.