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On the face of it, Reign of Fire is a sure-fire bet for howler of the year. A ludicrously-
sounding, recipe for disaster if ever there was one: Firstly, it's a futuristic, post-apocalypse
Hollywood movie. Secondly, it's set in London. Thirdly, it involves dormant dragon's being disturbed
& setting off said
apocalypse where the resulting action then takes place, all Mad Maxed up. It stars Christian Bale,
who, since Empire of the Sun has never been entirely convincing, Matthew McConnauhey - a poor man's
Woody Harrelson for teenage girl audience (most famous for being arrested leaping around naked whilst
stoned) & one Izabella Scorupco recently reborn of James Bond obscurity in Vertical Limit.
Let's face it - it's a stinker if ever there was one!
Surprisingly, Reign of Fire is actually very good. Bale & McConnauhey rough it out
for alpha male, not forgetting their GQ training with the odd tear stained eye while Scorupco,
for all her self-important spelling alterations & chopper chick durability, excells as the eye candy.
Finally we have a film from someone who knows how to tell a story. Director Rob Bowman, most famed
for his directorial credits on the X-Files, brings a welcome injection of intelligence to the big
screen with a tale thats paced just right, looks great & doesn't try to do too much. There's much X-Files
experience to be found here: the clever pop-culture references, treatment of the monster (we only see
it throught the eyes of the characters), anti-establishment/development backstory & a nod to mythical
heritage. Layered with a set of popular (if unoriginal - but then again what is/ever was?)
characters ranging from a brilliantly bombastic McConnahuey tearing up the screen with his tribal
tattoos & Colonal Kilgore swagger to the lingering love interest of Scorupco & a valiant knight
drawn toward his ultimate destiny in Bale.
The FX are great, the much maligned post-apocalypse setting is strangely convincing & the creature,
for once, understated enough to let the story tell itself without eclipse. My only fault would be the
slightly hasty conclusion, one element lifted from the TV format that doesn't quite translate.
However, having said this, a drawn out is he/isn't he dead, lengthy game of hide & seek would've made this
just another spoilt HW clone.
The best addition to the post-apoclayptic genre in a long time.
RATING: (c)Limer 2002
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Reign of Fire (Cinema: July 2002)
