Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Reign of Fire
Metascore
39 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 30
  3. Negative: 12 out of 30
view
per page
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The fact that Reign of Fire does what it sets out to do is a cause for celebration amongst those who like special effects-laden action movies featuring fire-breathing monsters and mayhem.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Paul Malcolm
    70
    Bowman and production designer Wolf Kroeger do an excellent job of evoking a twice-baked England, while writers Gregg Chabot, Kevin Peterka and Matt Greenberg keep the script devilishly pitched just shy of preposterous (it's McConaughey who stumbles beyond).
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    70
    Loads of fun. It has a jamming B-picture buzz -- the kind of swift filmmaking and high spirits that have been missing from movies for a while.
  4. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Gregory Weinkauf
    70
    The beasts are employed to splendid metaphorical effect, which may be lost on viewers perceiving nothing but an action romp.
    All this critic's reviews
  5. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Hank Sartin
    70
    An odd cross between "Mad Max" and "Dragonheart," this movie is all borrowed ideas, but it's still trashy fun.
  6. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Chris Jones
    63
    It's a decent, fast-moving and visually powerful summer action romp for the teenage demographic-the dragons are deliciously evil critters, with a nice retro identity.
  7. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    This is quite enjoyable as creature features go, and Bale continues to demonstrate his curious under-the-radar appeal. As for McConaughey, let's just say a star is reborn. Suddenly that whole naked-bongo-playing incident makes a lot more sense.
  8. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    63
    The film delivers the goods, reptile-wise. Though the computer-generated villains look a bit clumsy at ground level, they're superb in the air.
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    60
    An uncommonly satisfying mix of medieval fantasy, high-tech military action and "Mad Max"-style misadventure.
  10. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    58
    A collision of medieval fantasy and commando action movie, where you can almost believe in the high-concept mix-and-matching.
  11. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    50
    Stops dead the second the monsters fall out of view. It doesn't help that the movie's post-apocalyptic future is of the unimaginative backlot variety, or that the movie takes itself so seriously.
  12. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    50
    Clearly, nobody's going to win any awards for this, but maybe Bale and McConaughey knew what they were doing after all. The music is loud, the action is fierce and the bodies are buff.
    All this critic's reviews
  13. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    50
    The script gives the actors less of a chance than the dragons give to Homo sapiens.
  14. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Michael Dequina
    50
    Surprisingly lifeless monster movie.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    50
    Though Reign of Fire's concept of a humans-versus-dragons smackdown is a good one, the way it's worked out on screen is more silly than compelling.
  16. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    42
    Like a dog walking on its hind legs across a freshly waxed floor -- awkward, slow, deliberate, seeking approval -- the action thriller Reign of Fire gets from start to finish, somehow, without tumbling into complete disaster.
  17. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Frank Lovece
    40
    Some great things can found in this fluidly kinetic film, well-directed by X-Files series and movie veteran Rob Bowman, including no-nonsense dialogue, epic photography and a terrific score. It's too bad the story is so sloppy and stupid.
  18. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    40
    Will make monster fans ache for what might have been.
  19. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    38
    It strains belief that nuclear weapons couldn't kill off the dragons, but three people with crossbows could.
  20. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    38
    Often incomprehensible (a combination of jumpy editing and lots of thick British Isles accents) and hardly ever entertaining - even unintentionally.
  21. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    38
    The story doesn't clarify why the dragons hibernated for hundreds of years, nor why they awakened. Clearly, however, the filmmakers might have benefited from more sleep before penning the script.
  22. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    38
    Reign of Fire never comes close to recovering from its demented premise, but it does sustain an enjoyable level of ridiculousness.
  23. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    30
    Director Rob Bowman seems at a loss as to what to bring to the film, which, even with its good choice of leads, plods along from one dragon fight to the next, all of them staged to showcase Fire's impressive CGI dragons, but none choreographed with any real flair.
  24. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Dennis Lim
    30
    Peaks early with a vertiginous dogfight; thereafter, spotty CGI and a bamboozling plot conspire toward a colossal anticlimax.
  25. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter
    30
    It's just silly, loud and goofy. The dragon needed a bigger part and the two stars smaller ones.
  26. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    25
    One regards Reign of Fire with awe. What a vast enterprise has been marshaled in the service of such a minute idea. Incredulity is our companion, and it is twofold: We cannot believe what happens in the movie, and we cannot believe that the movie was made.
  27. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    20
    Dragons torch the earth as manly men with weird hair battle them in this colossally misconceived dud.
  28. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    20
    So what's not to like? There's the bad CGI, the choppy pacing, the comically intense acting, the repetition, the dullness and mostly the idiot plot about how there's only one male dragon and everything will be fine if they kill the Big Dick. Wha? Somebody get a hose and put this Fire out.
  29. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    20
    A disaster of a drama, saved only by its winged assailants. You know a picture's in trouble when you find yourself rooting for humankind to lose.
  30. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    0
    Truly awful.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 34
  3. Negative: 7 out of 34
  1. NF123
    7
    A stupid ending, with laughable dialogue and Matthew McConaughey looking and acting like something out of GI joe and yet I was never bored and found it quite entertaining. I'm a bit annoyed though because it's never as epic or explosive as it should be and never as heartfelt as it wants to be. The cover and posters are misleading… Full Review »
  2. TK
    7
    Not the best movie ever... but mildly entertaining. The characters are somewhat likable and the story was predictable but decent. PS Aron, your not cool and couldn't write a review worth reading to save your life... regardless of what Mindy might think.… Full Review »
  3. AidanP.
    10
    I love this movie, its great. Don't know why it received such bad reviews, after all, its fantasy.
See all user reviews »