Review

Review Date: 14-July-02
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Reign of Fire (2002)

I hope you won't think me mad when I admit, with soul-baring honesty, that I am a big fan of the impending apocalypse. That is to say, I relish the idea that we humans, like other species before us (and other species because of us), have an expiration date, when we will either disappear entirely or be reduced to minuscule numbers to start all over again. We are, after all, part of the cycle of life, both in the huge cosmic sense and in the microcosm of our little planet. I really believe it's coming — the end of the line — and that doesn't make me sad or scared or angry. No, I find it rather satisfying, the fulfillment of the inevitable.

I also like the apocalypse because it makes for a very good story, as countless writers have discovered, especially since the dawn of the nuclear age. Reign of Fire joins a large body of literary and cinematic work centered upon the trials of a reduced human population in a post-apocalyptic world. And despite a few moments of cheese, it's a highly entertaining spectacle that weaves together several familiar but satisfying themes, including the hardships of life in a hostile world, the Man of Thought vs. the Man of Action, hero-buddies, and fathers and sons.

Christian Bale stars as Quinn, our Man of Thought (European, of course), the generally accepted leader of a small group of humans holed up in a ruined British castle in the year 2020, after the Earth has been laid waste by a slew of fire-breathing dragons. Not having heard from another human for a couple of years, he and his tribe are simply holding on for dear life, unsure whether they are the last of their kind. Quinn shares his burdens with his best friend, Creedy (Gerard Butler), and spends his days raising an orphaned boy, guarding his crops, teaching the children in his fold how to keep safe, and agonizing over the death of his mother, who was killed before his eyes by the very first dragon to awake, on the last day of humankind's dominance on Earth.

Enter Denton Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), our Man of Action (not only American, but Southern to boot), who rolls up to the castle with the remnants of the US Army in tanks and demands temporary asylum. He also brings with him a helicopter (how this has managed to evade the wrath of flying dragons is one of a couple silly things you just have to swallow), piloted by the attractive Alex (Izabella Scorupco). Whereas Quinn has fought the battle of life, Van Zan seeks the battle of death — he and his well trained, highly obedient army intend to take out the dragons, even if that means none of them will be left standing.

I probably don't have to tell you what happens next: the two men clash, then come together; one dies, and the other defeats the dragons and turns toward rebuilding the world with Alex. But Heroes are supposed to win, and the actors do a good job fleshing them out, so you won't hear any quibbles about predictability from me. The film moves along at a nice pace, with just the right amount of terror and battle, and wisely asks the viewer to relate to Quinn so that you really feel what's at stake. It's not the scorched, empty remains of London that arouse sympathy, but rather the poor passel of children in Quinn's tribe to whose existence he is devoted. There is a fabulous scene, both touching and funny, in which Quinn and Creedy entertain the young 'uns by enacting the finale of The Empire Strikes Back, which Quinn tells them he has made up himself. If that doesn't get you, you shouldn't be watching this kind of film (and I pity your lack of hero-worship).

As both apocalyptic and summer movies go, Reign of Fire delivers. Some viewers might be disappointed with the dragons, which are just what you'd expect without any original dazzle, particularly since the film poster emphasizes that they are scary because they think like men. The movie never addresses this, however, and I'm glad of it. The dragons are elemental creatures — the danger lies not in their minds or hearts, but in their bodies and animal instincts only. The real enemy is fire. Which is also a nice apocalyptic thought: it could be nuclear war or a man-made virus that brings the human race down, but maybe thinking so is hubris. Rising tides, uncontrollable fires — we haven't quite mastered nature yet.

Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.