Le Règne du feu

What a cast this films has looking back at it now. Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Gerard Butler, Alice Krige - it's a shame that the film itself is a little underdeveloped to match that star power.

Set in a desolate future, when long-hibernating fire-breathing dragons have been awoken and have all but destroyed all forms of life on the planet. Quinn (Christian Bale) desperately hangs on with a small group of survivors, based at a castle in the North East of England. His hopes of survival seem lost when his vital crop field is discovered and destroyed - but then an American military unit, let by the brutish Denton Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey) arrives. But are they saviours, or just another threat?

Director Rob Bowman earned his moment in Hollywood directing and producing episodes of "The X-Files", which got him this film, and then "Elektra" which seems to have consigned him back to the small screen for the rest of his career. It's a bit of a shame, as "Reign of Fire" isn't a bad film -- the visual effects are actually pretty good, for a film that's nearly 20 years old. The performances are pretty good too, particularly from our three leads - in fact it might it's those actors that elevate the film from being little more than a B-movie.

The films just a little off pacing wise and is missing a beat or two of action in the middle. There's a scene involving Bale discovering an egg in the killed Dragon that feels like it was meant to mean more to the plot, but then that doesn't go anywhere and the film doesn't cover off any of the logistical arguments such as where Van Zan's endless fuel supply comes from. Also if you have any understanding of the geography of the UK, some aspects of the film become downright baffling.

If the action was a little better and the plot a little clearer then this might be a class film, but as it is - it's just alright alright alright).

This is a movie that I've been aware of for many years but never watched because of the critical and viewer reviews. Finally, early this summer of 2018, I watched it and it's become one of those movies that, no matter what part of the movie I stumble upon, it's very hard for me not to watch it, again, until the end. Yes, it's a bit farfetched, but so is The Matrix. The acting is top notch and the dragon is very well designed and presented. It's as life-like as any other "monster" in the movies. So I say disregard what you've read or heard and give it a shot. Maybe you'll totally disagree with me. But maybe you won't and you'll actually enjoy escaping from the real world and enjoy it. Only one way to know for sure...

Sure, it was cheesy and low budget, but the indomitable Rob Bowman didn't pull any punches in this futuristic drama about dragons. Giving a scientific edge to a creature based in fantasy, this film proved to be a rather refreshing step in science fiction, which means it won't be a well received one. Even if this film barely makes its money back, at least it leaves the door open for other fantastic ideas in the science fiction genre.

As for the film, the technical side was excellent. Bowman, a former television director proves he can do just as well with a 50 million dollar budget (?) and a tough to sell idea. Both Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey were believable as care taking heroes. Their bipolar dynamic was especially excellent, creating tension not just in beliefs but also in culture and devotion to country. McConaughey was especially good as Van Zant (which was well cast, considering he is an actual southerner), bringing a role to his resume which I had never seen. All in all, a decent film to watch. 7/10

This was a bit different than one expected. There was no nonsense, no tongue-in-cheek humor or special-effects just for the sake of it: this was simply a humans vs. dragons story taking place in the future. No laughs and nothing hokey, which is what I expected. They played it straight, simply as a fight story between the two parties.

Yes, there were credibility problems with the story but overall, it was good escapist adventure. The dragons were realistic-looking, the scenery dreary but the story interesting and intense in spots.

I wouldn't buy it, but I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a night of adventure on film. You could do a whole lot worse, especially with two young actors who have arrived as stars: Christian Bale and Matthew McConnaughey.

I love this film. It shows the very human struggle to survive after they've been knocked from the top of the food chain. It blends medieval mythology with a modern era breathlessly. Definitely an original take on Man vs Dragon. Now to get this straight, this is a film about Humans, not about Dragons. The dragons merely supply the unique reason for the apocalypse. This is a film about the post-apocalypse, not the apocalypse. It's not about skies full of Dragons turning worldwide armed forces into ash on an epic scale. It's not about Dragons setting the world, quite literally, on fire. It's about after all that's happened.

Which is a shame this was advertised as a film about Dragons burning all life as we know it. Of course, everyone goes in expecting to see 90 minutes of Dragons destroying everything. If this had been advertised as a more human film about after these Dragons have completely wasted everything, I really think this could've been seen as a good film. It unfortunately set expectations high in the wrong sort of viewers by a mind-blowingly epic trailer.

Christian Bale, Gerard Butler and Matthew McConaughey all deliver their role superbly, and the script isn't as bad as it's made out to be either. The effects were great and the Dragons do look pretty realistic, to the point I almost believed this was a documentary. Okay, so there are some plot holes, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to fill those in yourself. I mean, does everything have to be explained so obviously? The only reason this film gets 4 stars and not 5 is because, being a film about human struggle, it could've done with a bit more character development. Other than that, it's a deeply entertaining, well-acted, suspenseful film.

Don't knock it before you see it for yourself.