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

Release Year: 2002

Rating: 6.0/10 (54,657 voted)

Critic's Score: 39/100

Director: Rob Bowman

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale, Izabella Scorupco

Storyline
It is twenty years in the future, and the planet has been devastated by vicious fire-breathing dragons. The last vestiges of humanity now struggle for survival at remote outposts. In a ruined castle in the English countryside, Quinn is desperately trying to hold together a band of frightened, restless survivors. As a boy, Quinn watched his mother die protecting him from one of the beasts, and is still haunted by the memory. One day, a group of American rogues shows up, led by a brash, tough-guy named Van Zam. He claims to have discovered a way to kill the dragons once and for all, and enlists Quinn's help. But doing so will force Quinn to confront his own frightening memories. This, and Quinn's responsibilities to those that are under his protection, results in a battle of wills between the two men. In the end, events cause them both to realize that they must work together to defeat the monsters--both without and within.

Writers: Gregg Chabot, Kevin Peterka

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

Taglines: They're extremely intelligent. Highly evolved. And they don't like sharing the planet.

Official Website: Official site [Japan] | Official site [uk] |

Release Date: 12 July 2002

Filming Locations: Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office Details

Budget: $95,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $15,632,281 (USA) (14 July 2002) (2629 Screens)

Gross: $82,150,183 (Worldwide)

Runtime: 101 min

Trivia:
The preview claims that the film is set in 2084. Yet the actual movie itself gives the date as sometime in the 2020s.

Goofs:
Factual errors: Van Zan tells Quinn the explosive crossbow bolts are magnesium-tipped C4. Assuming the magnesium is being lit from impact or from the dragon's breath, the C4 would not detonate; C4 detonates only with combined heat and pressure usually only obtained from detonating a blasting cap embedded in the C4. Unless the magnesium tip was purposed as the ignition source of a blasting cap that wasn't mentioned in the arrow head the C4 would not have detonated.

Quotes:
[first lines]
Worker #1: Hello, Quinn.
Worker #2: Good morning, Quinn. How's is going mate.
Young Quinn: What's up, guys.
Worker #3: Working the late shift, are ya?
Young Quinn: Ha! Someone's got to clean up after you guys.

Ashes to Ashes!

Rating:

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.

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