FanUnity B(uzz)log

I’m one of those people who staunchly believes that special effects cannot make a movie. To paraphrase one of my fellows involved with the Online Shrine, if you have a script that’s a steaming pile of feces, and you sculpt it beautifully, then what you’ve got is a beautifully sculpted pile of feces.

Having said that, Reign of Fire has some of the best dragon effects I’ve ever seen. In fact, I’d dare to say that this film uses CGI more effectively and better than just about any I’ve seen recently. Unlike the fecesfest that George Lucas has subjected the world with in past years, the characters of Reign of Fire truly interact with their CGI costars. When Quinn goes face to face with a beast, he looks like he’s looking at it. When people duck as the dragons fly overhead, they look like they’re ducking because of the dragon, not a director’s cue. And as a personal note, I felt the way the film portrayed the dragons’ motions truly made them feel more powerful.

But enough of special effects. We’ll leave it with: if special effects make a movie for you, then this film has some great ones. Now onto the real meat of the picture.

This one should be a shoe in for me. Certainly, everyone was expecting me to love it. After all, I’ve loved dragons since before I could read, and I’m one of the biggest fanboys of post-apocalyptic stories, in all media, that anyone knows. This had both. It couldn’t go wrong, right?

Well� yes, it is post apocalyptic, but it lacks nearly everything that’s become standard trappings for a post-apocalyptic tale. Still, just because it’s not a classic post-apocalyptic movie doesn’t make it bad. I’m reminded of the quotes one of my colleagues wrote regarding another movie: “Sure, it’s trash, but it’s fun trash.” Reign of Fire just doesn’t feel like one of those films destined to be remembered as a classic for generations to come. But it’s a fun film, filled with lots of things to like.

The film follows Quinn (Christian Bale) for quite some time before any of the other major players are introduced. Quinn’s a likable type of fellow, reserved, strong, exuding authority. You get comfortable with him in short order, even if all he wants to do is wait until the dragons kill themselves off. Okay, so he’s not pro-active, but he’s still charismatic and inspiring in some ways. In the fortified castle filled with survivors of the dragon onslaught, Quinn comes off as quite the man.

But then something happens to shake up his quiet community. No, it’s not a dragon attack (though one does come fairly early, and the scene is incredibly well shot, tense, and serves to build Quinn all the more), and it’s not marauders looking to pillage the community. It’s the one thing worse than marauders, according to the castle dwellers: Americans. Specifically a small military unit under the command of a man named Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey). That’s right baby, even after the world is destroyed by giant, flying, fire breathing lizards, we’re still the baddest thing around. I love it.

Van Zan is another strong, authoritative figure, but that’s where the similarities with Quinn end. The military commander can be described in one word: intense. I’m surprised McConaughey didn’t pop his carotid straight through his skin and spray blood all over the cast and crew. There are scenes where all you hear is this man breathing.

But this contrast of leadership figures actually plays out quite interestingly. Van Zan’s hyperbolic intensity is a fantastic contrast to Quinn’s reserved calm. It’s a clash of two leadership styles, and it’s fascinating to watch as a few men of Quinn’s community are courted over by Van Zan, and certain members of Van Zan’s unit (specifically Alex (Izabella Scorupco), the unit’s pilot) start moving toward Quinn.

There are also some nice little touches too, like the fact Quinn mentions about no flying craft having been airborne in over 15 years, or when Quinn refers to Van Zan’s unit as dragonslayers. It’s not a title you’d immediately associate with a band traveling around in a tank and a pair of trucks, and that’s what makes it all the cooler.

Ultimately there are some problems with the film though. I noted earlier that post-apocalyptic films typically have certain trappings. Not all of them are essential, especially for a film placed so soon after the fall of man; many of the characters remember the times when man still rules the planet. However, there are a few that really should have been addressed.

One is limited resources. A major problem facing people in a destroyed world is their inability to obtain manufactured items or substances, most importantly ammunition and fuel. Anyone who’s seen The Road Warrior knows exactly what I’m talking about. The lack of ammunition is very briefly touched on in this film, but fuel? Van Zan’s fuel inefficient column chugs along like they’ve got the Exxon Valdez sitting in port just a few minutes away. POSSIBLE SPOILER SECTION! His sole helicopter does everything form scout to dragon hunt. Useful? Sure it is, but this bird is supposed to be a big deal. Remember, no human craft has been in the air for over a decade. It’s supposed to be a precious resource. Combined with the supposed lack of fuel, it should take off only during special circumstances. It’s flying more than it’s not. And if it sees combat like the kind we are shown, it should certainly look more rag tag than it does. Another staple of the post-apocalyptic genre is the patchwork appearance of things. A pristine military troop transport doesn’t quite give the impressions of a long, hard struggle that it must carry alone.

But that’s all quibbling over details. The really big issue is one of biology. Dragons are egg laying creatures in this world. Sure. No problem. But apparently their eggs are externally fertilized by a male, who can fertilize thousands of eggs at once. That’s how these creatures can spawn so quickly. Thing is, the females carry their eggs in their bodies. Makes external fertilization rather difficult.

The biggest issue however, lies in Van Zan’s revelation and plan on how to finally strike a telling blow against the dragons. It appears that his crew has figured out that all the dragons they shoot down are female. That means there’s only one male dragon in the entire world. Kill it, and they won’t be able to reproduce. I’m all for suspension of disbelief in a film, but that stretches it a bit thin, even for me. How this species didn’t get wiped out thousands of years ago I’ll never figure out. Kill one key member and the whole line dies. It’s just too easy. END SPOILER SECTION.

This is one of those films where you can rip it apart if you’re just looking to do that. If you have fun that way, see this film and then rant about it to everyone else, because it will certainly give you those opportunities. However, if you’re willing to forgive certain gaffs in logic, this film can be a tremendous amount of fun. While I wouldn’t call it a great film like Gladiator or Braveheart or The Matrix, I’d call it a good film, and one I loved watching.

3/5 Stars.

–Clifford Horowitz