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%

Tomatometer

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

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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

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Korra N

Far better than folks give it credit for & a movie deserving of a franchise. Most of the visuals are still jaw-dropping & the direction from "X-Files" veteran Rob Bowman is very solid.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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TI H

I saw it in the theater many years ago, and I liked it. I thought everyone did, but the reviews speak otherwise. I think it deserves 3.5 stars, and part of that is the premise, which I enjoyed, for we see dragons that have nothing to do with a sword & sorcery medieval setting. I don't see why the effects are being criticized, although they don't measure up to today's standards. (Has that been done before? I don't think so.)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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Andrew S

Matthew mcdonahue played a great part that just seems to get better and better every time I watch it

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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xpig332 B

After 25 minutes I had absolutely no interest in watching more.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Audience Member

Despite its logical flaws...it did exactly what it was made to do...entertain

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

Full Review

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

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

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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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