Reign of Fire

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Reign of Fire

PG-13

2002

1h 41m

Fantasy

Adventure

Action

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

174 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

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 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, 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

Mar 31, 2019

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.

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Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Mar 31, 2019

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

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Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Mar 31, 2019

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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Aug 12, 2026

3/4

A rush of entertainment on the gritty side.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Apr 4, 2026

4/5

‘…bags of action, great physical effects, and an original concept…’

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Leah Rozen

People Magazine

Mar 31, 2019

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

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M D

@RT61793655 2 days ago

mad max dragon edition. great plot, packed lineup of leading and supporting actors. effects have held up better than expected. the consistency of tone in this film is refreshing. don’t listen to stale reviews. a must see 🐉

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Jacob W

@SteelioTontos 6 days ago

Solid cast and acting, the story is kind of dumb.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke Oct 10, 2026

A big-budget Grade-B monster film with some big-name actors. The cinematography, costumes, music, sets, and special effects were surprisingly unimpressive for a production of this scale. I found the deliberate blue tint particularly unappealing.

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Odilon L

@RT24868736 Sep 12, 2026

Its low rating proves we shouldn't just trust numbers. Great movie with an amazing cast and acting!

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Liam L

@LiamLlanosOfLlano Sep 7, 2026

Definitely underrated. I thought there was some great cinematography, especially towards the end of the film. I like how humanity has been reborn in a medieval setting, and that many of the film takes place in a literal castle. While not an Oscar - winner, I think it was definitely good, and much better than some reviewers will have you believe.

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Chris S

@Janomi Aug 26, 2026

Reign of Fire has a good idea because the post-apocalyptic dragon premise is genuinely strong. Dragons waking up and turning the modern world into a burned-out wasteland takes a fantasy creature and treats it like an extinction-level disaster, which gives the movie a different flavor from a standard dragon story. Christian Bale gives Quinn a grounded, weary survivor quality. He feels like someone who has spent his life protecting people from a threat he can barely hope to beat. Matthew McConaughey brings the opposite energy as Van Zan, with wild, aggressive, bald-headed intensity that gives the human conflict some spark. The dragon design and bleak atmosphere work well. The smoke, ash, ruins, shelters, and burned landscapes create a desperate survival mood. The premise is stronger than the plot, and the world-building could go deeper, but Reign of Fire has enough grit and originality to stay interesting.

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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 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, 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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