Rating: 
Summary: Mad Max meets Dragons
Review: No this is no Oscar winner. But for the sheer imagery of the dragons it kicks. I had see the previews for 3 months and I could not wait for this movie to show up on the big screen. I got to see it on an Ultrascreen and was not disappointed one bit. Matthew M really played the part of an over-zealous dragonslayer with perfection; his chawed off ceegar and shaved head further conveyed his madness (and his beefed-up bod was easy eye candy!). His madness equalled the character of Mad Max. Quinn tho handsome was a bit washy but showed his true colors in the end as the boy who saw the dragon's release to the hero 20 years later. This is an eye feast and as my movie companion commented last nite, "Intense, man!"
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent B-Movie - Which is Exactly What It Promised
Review: It's a rare film that manages to deliver on its promises these days. 'Men in Black II' felt like a bogged-down, too-short, commercialized nightmare compared to the first, and the much-ballyhooed 'Road to Perdition' ended up being as hollow as a rotten tree stump. Thankfully, 'Reign of Fire' recognized its limitations before marketing, and the studios showed a great deal of wisdom by marketing it as a B-grade monster flick ' which is truthful to the last 't.'In a new spin on the post-apocalyptic genre (and a great new entry into that field, I might add), a construction crew in London awakens a dragon. Yes, those mythical beasts are scientifically real (but you already knew that from the previews, right?) In no time at all, the dragons have multiplied and destroyed much of civilization, sending the survivors into tiny fortresses where they are attempting to outlive the dragon's cycle ' because once the food runs out, they will eventually die. 'American Psycho's' Christian Bale was there when the big lizards woke up, and now he's leading a plucky group of survivors in northern England. When infighting and dragon attacks lead to the destruction of the group's only food source, things look bleak until Yankee Matthew McConaughey literally rolls to the doorstep in a tank, ready to kick some dragon butt. At first, 'Reign of Fire' looks like it's going to degenerate into a propaganda film for American Know-How and Cheesy One-Liners a la 'Independence Day,' but instead takes the high road, skewing both American bravado and British understatement until ideologies and differences are forced aside in a fight for survival. That may be giving the movie more credit than it deserves, as in the end it does become a monster-movie battle of injured survivors vs. Big Meanies, but director Rob Bowmen must be given credit for following in the footsteps of 50s and 60s B-grade sci-fi/monster fare and at least giving lip service to plot and character development. What makes 'Reign of Fire' so slick is that the monsters are handled like' well' monsters. The dragons rarely appear on screen (you actually see most of them in the previews), and each one is treated as a horrific menace that must be dealt with to save immediate life and limb. Add to that some really awesome post-apocalyptic sets (the London set is great, even if it was mostly digital) that made great use of an obviously limited budget. 'Reign of Fire' is old-school, unpretentious fun. It's not an art film by a longshot ' it's a Hollywood movie, full of bigger-than-life creatures and outrageous action situations. It's pure escapism, and great escapism at that, not to mention a worthy inductee into the canon of post-apocalyptic films. Definitely worth the price of admission. Final Grade: B (of course)
Rating:
Summary: A Exceptional Entertainer
Review: If I had to pic one word to describe this movie: adrenaline. The movie is a typical post-apocalyptic, fight-for-survival film, with the obvious moviegoer draw being the dragons. As far as the plot is concerned, it is riddled with inconsistencies and bites off more than it can chew as it tries to explain in technical terms how the beasts multiplied so quickly. When all is said and done, what you have is an entertaining story, characters who are sterotyped incredibly, and a virtual feast for your eyes and ears. If you're looking for a true, believable fantasy/sci-fi movie, I wouldn't recommend seeing this. However, if you can get by the watered-down plotline, the film is full of cliche characters who do not fail to entertain and a landscape that draws you in whether you like it or not. When you walk out of this movie, you'll be on the edge of your seat for days.
Rating:
Summary: The "Citizen Kane" of marauding dragon movies
Review: If you're looking for the English Patient then you should skip this movie. But if your expectations are a little more in line with the action genre then you won't be disappointed. The dragons are sufficiently threatening and look great and the hero is complex enough to keep you interested in the plot. McConaughey is a little over the top but so what - he's supposed to be a dragon slayer, maybe those guys are like that in "real life."
Rating:
Summary: Richly suspensful and entertaining!
Review: Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale star in this Rob Bowman film about apocalyptic dragons. Sounds a bit corny, doesn't it? But, "Reign of Fire" is worth your money! I was wondering why the two respected actors would venture to do such a film if it wasn't going to be a good film. The film is meant to be taken with a grain of salt - and when you do see it, and take it with a grain of salt - you'll enjoy it! Christian Bale plays a leader of a small group of Britons left clinging to life as the dragons are starving after twenty years of conquest and destruction. Just as they seem to sit in the trenches of a castle, "the only worse thing other than dragons" appear. "Americans." McConaughey plays the gruff Van Zan, escorted by tanks and a helicopter, something the Britons had not seen in at least ten years. Van Zan and his group are dragon hunters - something Bale's group doesn't want. As the story progresses, the combined forces must vanquish the chief dragon, the last surviving male who is pregnating the dominant female population. This is actually a very good movie! Christian Bale is the standout here, as not only a fighter, but a leader. McConaughey is the most surprising here; he'd be the last person I'd think to play a grunt, but here he is, buff and barking out orders like a drill sergeant. The dragons are really the scariest CGI creature since "Jurassic Park" and are only used when needed. Bowman's experience with "The X-Files" helped out, as he didn't over-direct like his colleague Daniel Sackheim in "The Glass House". So, overall, "Reign of Fire" is a rip-roaring fun time with chills and thrills!
Rating: 
Summary: Great for the kids!
Review: This is one that the kids will really love. It has great special effects and reasonably decent acting, however, it doesn't live up to all the advertising it was given. It has several points in it where, they started something but did not finish them. The accents were a little hard to understand. Overall, not a bad movie, it just didn't live up to it's potential in my opinion. I would only buy this one on DVD because my child really liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a Recommendation
Review: I went into this movie with modest expectations, but some hope based on the good reviews I'd read - which I tended to believe more than the bad ones. The bad ones all seemed to suffer from preconceptions about what a movie with dragons in it "should" be: either a fairy tale with talking dragons, or an epic battle between dragons and humans, heavy on the special effects. Well, the special effects in this film were just fine (I don't look for those small CGI flaws that delight the film geeks), and the dragons were sufficiently impressive. The male dragon, in fact, was downright terrifying, whether enveloping a castle with his wings like a fiery vulture, or (almost more creepy) lurching through the ruins of London. But, really, this is a movie about people facing dragons and not a movie about dragons: the terror they live with, the shifts they have made to survive, and the conflicts in leadership styles. I really cared about these people, especially the Brits hunkered down in their ruined castle. And because I cared about them, the choices they made and the terror they were facing were interesting. This is still a popcorn movie, but the kind of popcorn movie they made before summer movies were all dumbed down and franchised. No one here has super-hero capabilities, and the end was all the more exciting for it. As for the whys and hows of how the dragons came to be, we see as much as we need to know for the story, and it makes as much sense as it needs to. People unduly worried about the logic of dragon reproduction probably should see another movie, as the human concerns would be lost on them. I loved the quiet if tense moments. I was grateful that the summer rhythm of explosion on explosion was by-passed in favor of telling a real story. This isn't a "great" movie, but it is very good of its increasingly rare kind: a summer movie with some real heart and intelligence.
Rating:
Summary: If Only This Could Have Been 4-6 Hours Long
Review: 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...
Rating:
Summary: Great Action Great Special Effects with Gerard Butler
Review: This is such a cool movie! It's got wonderful special effects. The Dragons are very frightening. Is a post-apocolyptic monster movie with enough heroism, humor, and hunk to satisfy all kinds of taste. My favorite part was how totally gorgeous Gerard Butler and Christian Bale are in this movie. I enjoyed getting to see Gerard Butler in this movie. He was funny and cute and a great good guy. But it is good for guys and gals alike. Lot's of action, lot's of fun, just enough romance (just a little).
Rating: 
Summary: Reign Abdocates to Silliness!
Review: Where did this movie come from? I'm fairly current on films being released, but I never heard of this one coming out. Could it be that it was scheduled for later release and then moved up to cash in on full lines to see other blockbusters? Could it be that it was canned for a long time and then dumped in the middle of blockbuster season on unsuspecting viewers? Either way, Reign of Fire is sadly disappointing in everything but the visuals. The Good: Since T2 and Jurassic Park, we have come to expect a much higher grade of special effects in films. Reign does not disappoint in that respect. The dragons are amazingly realistic looking (is that possible, since they never existed?). The Bad: Matthew McConaughey absolutely chews up the scenery, he's overacting so badly. He's doing some sort of "Sgt. Rock" impression throughout, attempting to be this ultra tough commando who apparently has a crotch itch or something stuffed up his bum, because he sure does walk funny. He chews a cigar constantly and overemotes incessantly. Why he has more tattoos than the Illustrated Man is not known, but seems a ridiculous character trait. The Good: Christian Bale does his very best to keep his character centered and in doing so, becomes the emotional center of the film - which is what the film sorely needs. He reacts believeably and shows his emotions appropriately for the situation in which his character exists. The Bad: This story has more holes in it than swiss cheese. If we assume that the premise this movie uses is real for the characters, then there are some serious "reality" issues to deal with. If one dragon was discovered by Bale's character when he was a child and according to the story, it was a male - where did the rest of the dragons come from? If dragons have been running around for 16 years when McConaughey's character arrives, and dragons love igniting stuff and almost the entire world is industrially devoid - where is all the gasoline coming from that they use to power the autos? And even if there were some reserves available, how is McCon's convoy availing itself of it? Further, how in the heck did the convoy get from the U.S. to Great Britain, if just about anything moving gets burned to a crisp by the dragons? If there is only one male dragon which must fertilize all the female's eggs, and that one male is only located in GB, how can it fertilize the eggs of the dragons throughout the rest of the world? Why does McCon's character sacrifice himself? He has no ingrained knowledge that in doing so he will save the day. It makes no sense. The Good: The film looks really cool. It's shot in blues and greys and looks realistic to the film's premise. The Bad: The film drags in many places. The Bad: The filmmakers missed the opportunity to develop the emotional relationship with Bale and his eldest "adopted" son. The basics are there, but it isn't nearly as fleshed out as McCon's overacting is. The Verdict: Wait until it hits video and then you'll only waste 4 bucks.
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