Main cast: Christian Bale (Quinn), Matthew McConaughey (Van Zan), Izabella Scorupco (Alex Jensen), Gerard Butler (Dave Creedy), Scott Moutter (Jared Wilke), David Kennedy (Eddie Stax), Alexander Siddig (Ajay), Ned Dennehy (Barlow), Rory Keenan (Devon), Terence Maynard (Gideon), Doug Cockle (Goosh), Randall Carlton (Burke), Chris Kelly (Mead), and Alice Krige (Karen Abercromby)
Director: Rob Bowman
Reign of Fire attempts to blend science fiction apocalyptic scenario with medieval fantasy elements, and I must admit, I like it pretty well. The dragons are pretty amazing to look at, and despite choppy editing and a pretty meager plot, this movie entertains in a great popcorn-with-extra-caramel way.
Christian Bale, looking like what you will get when Moses poses for GQ, plays Quinn, the leader of a ragtag bunch of survivors in 2025 England. As a kid, Quinn watched in horror as his mother accidentally awakened dormant fire-breathing dragons, thus unleashing them to burn the world to crisp. Now, he is more of a peace-loving archer-and-horse kinda guy, Aragorn with Legolas’s bowmanship, and so far everything’s good. As good, that is, as you can be trying to live when there are dragons out there waiting to make barbecue out of you.
One day, they encounter a bunch of American gung-ho soldiers led by Van Zan. They have big guns, big tanks, and bigger missiles (let’s not quibble when they get fuel and ammo, shall we?), and they decide that they know best how to get rid of those pesky dragons. Whatever culture clash these two groups have will have to wait, though, when the dragons start to attack.
Yeah, yeah, there’s the obligatory brainy scientist woman Alex, from Van Zan’s gang, who will make whoopie eyes with Quinn, while Quinn and Van Zan will settle their differences for the final showdown. Matthew McConaughey is embarrassing to watch actually, as his unbelievably hokey lines are delivered either growls or over-the-top shoutings. More watchable are Izabella Scorupco, Scott Moutter (playing Quinn’s adopted son), and Gerard Butler (as the sidekick). But Christian Bale is really good as the peace-loving hero who can kick butt when push comes to shove.
The dragons are cool, and the movie doesn’t care about logic as much as it would rather just show macho guys and the babe kick reptilian butt. The abrupt ending has me scratching my head a little, but all in all, I’ve had fun and Christian Bale is great eye candy. In a movie like Reign of Fire, that, I believe, is more than enough.
