In present-day Britain, an underground construction project disturbs the lair of an animal long thought extinct: dragons. Soon after this discovery, dragons have multiplied with unbelievable speed and begun to decimate the Earth. Mankind attempts to use weapons against the dragons but this act simply aids the dragons’ survival as they feed on the ashes.
Flash forward to the year 2020 and a small band of survivors lives in the hills of northern England. Led by Quinn (Christian Bale), this band of men, women, and children have managed to carve out a meager existence for themselves. The dragons are starting to run out of food as they’ve burned most everything. The survivors are hoping they can outlast the now-starving dragons. However, two things may prevent this from happening: dissension in the group caused by hunger and the arrival of a contingent of American soldiers, led by a man named Denton Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), who claims that he has figured out a way to slay the dragons.
Reign of Fire is notable for its unique concept and its wonderful dragon and fire effects. Unfortunately, the movie falls flat and it’s not hard to define the exact problem with it. There’s no discernible plot. Each dilemma that is introduced is solved or dealt with in a matter of minutes. Without any tension, it’s hard to get involved in the story or care about who lives or dies.
The casting is strong enough, however. Christian Bale is good as Quinn, a man haunted by his first encounter with the dragons as a child. Matthew McConaughey plays an atypical role as the gung-ho Van Zan very well. With a shaved head and a cigar clamped between his teeth, it’s hard to imagine that he’s the same guy that regularly appears in mediocre romantic comedies.
If Reign of Fire had a stronger dramatic structure, it could have been an engaging and satisfying fantasy action movie. As it is, it’s an interesting idea for a story that never goes anywhere.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
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