So yeah, totally cool movie title and a wicked idea no doubt, the problem being the final execution of the entire film.Īn apocalyptic 'Mad Max' type future with a pocket of human wastrels holed up in an old castle in the north of England. The only leaders left to keep the pitiful human morsels alive are 'Batman', 'King Leonidas' and a bald tattooed Texan.Īnd thus the premise for 'Reign of Fire' is born, like a phoenix from the flames, like the one true ring from the searing heat of Mount Doom, like.I'm going overboard aren't I?. Still, it really engrossed me, and I enjoyed the experience of watching it.Īnyone for dragons? a scorched earth where humanity is almost extinct and small bands of survivors scrape along day by day eeking out some form of life in a desolate barren world. Overall, the film doesn't explore the potential of it's jaw droppingly exciting premise. Nevertheless you can't really hate the film unless you're totally immune to any form of cinematic charm, or the spectacle of watching great flying beasts breathing fire and destroying massive landscapes. It's a lot less fiery than it needs to be and therefore gives us a fairly dissapointing finale. There's only ever one dragon on screen with the exception of a single long shot with a whole wing of them.
But I can't say the same about the odd lack of dragons shown on screen. As is the script which is a lot less cringe-worthy than I was first expecting. But not quite, his acting and his believeable Scottish accent is a surprise. So much that Christian Bale is almost overlooked. Matthew McConaughey in particular is energetic, believeable and engaging as the bizzare and irrational antihero. There's also some great cinematography and a handful of strong performances not normally found in an action film. The visuals are in fact stunningly eye popping and look like the real deal. But essentially what's really needed to make a film about doomsday survivors slaying dragons work is decent CGI creatures. That's an achievement for a film with this many logical flaws and laughable ideas. Even whilst assuring the audience not to take any of it too seriously, I found myself thinking that it really was the end of everything. The post apocalyptic B movie epic Reign of Fire maintains a sense of genuine danger, anguish and dread. An excellent set up with a completely satisfying if slightly inadeqaute payoff.