Reign of Fire

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Reign of Fire

PG-13

Released Jul 12, 2002

1h 41m

Fantasy

Adventure

Action

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

41%

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172 Reviews

49%

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100,000+ Ratings

In present-day London, 12-year-old Quinn watches as his mother wakes an enormous fire-breathing beast from its centuries-long slumber. Twenty years later, much of the world has been scarred by the beast and its offspring. As a fire chief, Quinn (Christian Bale) is responsible for warding off the beasts and keeping a community alive as they eke out a meager existence. Into their midst comes a hotshot American, Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), who says he has a way to kill the beasts.

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Critics Consensus

Reign of Fire gains some altitude with its pyrotechnic action and a smolderingly campy Matthew McConaughey, but the feature's wings are clipped by a derivative script and visual effects that fizzle out.

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SMH Staff

Sydney Morning Herald

The characters are sketchy, the plot is full of logical holes and the story is all fight and flight. But despite its flaws, it is enjoyable if you like special effects, warriors and computer-generated dragons.

Mar 31, 2019

Full Review

Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

For all its silliness, Reign of Fire never bores, and may actually appeal to your inner twelve-year-old.

Mar 31, 2019

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Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The poor dragons - on screen not nearly enough as it is - stand no chance pitted against this kind of heavyweight ham.

Mar 31, 2019

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Leah Rozen

People Magazine

Better than the trailers made it seem, but nothing to get fired up about.

Mar 31, 2019

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Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

For all of its design and special-effects artistry, "Reign of Fire" is seldom convincing -- only slightly more alive than the silly 2000 "Dungeons & Dragons."

Mar 31, 2019

Full Review

John Wooley

Tulsa World

Look too closely at it, and you'll find a question or two that aren't satisfactorily answered by film's end. But it deserves high marks for not being quite like anything else -- for being, in fact, just different enough to impress.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 31, 2019

Full Review

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Zach W.

Bale. McConaughey. Butler. Dragons. From the perspective of introducing an awesome concept and making a film enticing, Reign of Fire is on the right track with its cast and premise. Unfortunately, the visual graphics limit the ambitiousness of this film and the story is heavily reduced to an oversimplified solution. That being said, Reign of Fire still has its moments of genuine excitement and coolness. Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey fighting dragons in a post-apocalyptic Britain is certainly a premise that would have me seated opening night of its theatrical release. While both Bale and McConaughey are limited by a minimal script, the ambitiousness of Reign of Fire is commendable. There are numerous scenes that encompass creative concepts and unique ideas. Though the visual effects are apparently dated in moments, the substance of their purpose is more interesting than the visual elements. The idea of soldiers in a helicopter fighting a dragon is one that I could rewatch over and over again. Director Rob Bowman succeeds in delivering the scale of destructiveness and capturing the grittiness of this post-apocalyptic world. I simply wish that the plot did not limit itself and oversimplify the film’s conflict into a more practical solution. Overall, Reign of Fire is a fantasy film unlike anything I have seen before. It’s special and unique and I love that there is nothing similar to compare it towards. Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey are exhilarating together and that’s enough to make Reign of Fire refreshingly special.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/26/25

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Cyrus J

Although it's plot and writing definitely could be better, it's still enjoyable. It's a classic movie and has probably been an inspiration for other Dragons or Dragon movies. 🐉❤️

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Al P

its just such a good film! watched it so many times!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

Full Review

Richard W

Great action ,great actors ,decent special effects ,cant seem to understand, the low rating here on rotten tomatoes ,most reviews ,ive read seem positive as well

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

Full Review

Peter G

while not perfect its enjoyable fun with a serious edge. Maybe its partly nostalgia, as I saw it 23 years ago at the cinema as a child but I have a real soft spot for this film and the two main performances are strong and work well together

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

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cesar c

The characters are superficial but they work. A movie ahead of his time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

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Rob Bowman

Director

Christian Bale

Quinn

Matthew McConaughey

Van Zan

Izabella Scorupco

Alex Jensen

Gerard Butler

Dave Creedy

David Kennedy

Eddie Stax

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Synopsis

In present-day London, 12-year-old Quinn watches as his mother wakes an enormous fire-breathing beast from its centuries-long slumber. Twenty years later, much of the world has been scarred by the beast and its offspring. As a fire chief, Quinn (Christian Bale) is responsible for warding off the beasts and keeping a community alive as they eke out a meager existence. Into their midst comes a hotshot American, Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), who says he has a way to kill the beasts.

Director: Rob Bowman
Producer: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Richard D. Zanuck, Lili Fini Zanuck
Screenwriter: Gregg Chabot, Gregg Chabot, Kevin Peterka, Kevin Peterka, Matt Greenberg
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Spyglass Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.1M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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