| The
Review: |
In movies, dragons have usually
been some sort of protagonist or endearing character. There
was Falcore the Luck Dragon from Wolfgang Petersen's "The
Neverending Story," the smitten female firebreather of last
year's animated masterpiece "Shrek," and perhaps the most
infamous of them all, the big, green, lovable best friend
to an orphan boy in "Pete's Dragon." In "Reign of Fire," however,
these mythical creatures are given a basis in reality, and
delight in burning the Earth to a barren sphere of cinders
and mayhem in their search for food and dominance. ***
Like any genre entry, "Fire" possesses
the usual trademarks of an action movie, replete with dark,
surrealistic settings, characters who will eventually become
heroes in their quest to save the day, and a plot that hits
all the usual targets until it just becomes migraine-inducing
to ponder how many venues of originality the material passes
over. The predictable nature of the film isn't completely
burdensome, but it doesn't help matters either. ***
The year is 2020. In the decades
since their awakening, as seen in a present-day prologue,
dragons have risen up from a centuries-long slumber to bring
down a burning rain of fire and brimstone upon the Earth.
Major cities have been destroyed, and the human race is in
peril, running for their lives to small, castle-like hideaways
among the char-broiled countryside. Our focus centers on a
group in England, a community led by Quinn Abercromby (Christian
Bale), the young boy seen in the opening sequence who harbors
deep sorrow over the loss of his mother in the beginnings
of the disaster. ***
As a result of their enemy, humans
now live in the shadows. ash-filled skies cloud the sunlight,
casting a gray sheen over the ruins of the scarred lands.
They have had to resort to the most primitive methods of survival
and entertainment, as seen through their cultivation of food,
and a comical reenactment by two characters of one of Luke
Skywalker and Darth Vader's battles from "Star Wars." Much
of their existence is free of the amenities we take for granted,
and despite the inclusion of a radio and various sources of
electric light, the film feels authentic in this aspect. ***
It's the foreseeable plot twists
that tend to nag the viewer as they watch the story unfold.
I couldn't help but sneer at how director Rob Bowman ("The
X-Files: Fight the Future") sets up the first major confrontation
between man and beast in a harvest patch. We get the usual
setup of growing tensions, sounds of a creature unseen as
it apparently swoops through murky skies, and the score, which
builds and builds until it practically splits the ears when
the first dragon finally appears on the screen. ***
And this scene brings to my attention
just how little of the dragons we really see in "Reign of
Fire." Bowman keeps our attentions on character and narrative,
and while this could be considered an attribute, damn it,
I wanted to see more of these terrifying yet alluring creatures.
As seen through the eyes of the special effects craftsmen,
many of the dragons we initially see are small and only reach
a certain level of presence, due to the fact that they are
inserted into scenes from far-away angles, the only close-ups
vanishing as fast as they arrive. ***
The story hook comes with the arrival
of a group of American dragon slayers, led by Denton Van Zan
(Matthew McConaughey), a brutish, unfeeling man intent on
completing his mission of finding the sole male of the rivaling
species, destroying him, thus wiping out the entire race (hmm,
nothing exactly jumps to mind except "Mimic," and if you stretch
matters a bit, the 1998 update of "Godzilla"). There's the
usual conflicts of interest (Denton believes in pressing on,
while Quinn would rather not risk the lives of his community),
which lead to things like a brawl, a reconciliation, and acts
meant to evoke feelings of heroism and even a slight tinge
of patriotism for good measure (will we ever not see an action
movie with this type of propoganda again?). ***
I had many questions in watching
their actions. How did Denton's team arrive in England from
overseas? Where did he find time to have those full-body tattoos
put on his chiseled chest and biceps? Where do they find the
resources to keep their machinery running, like fuel and ammunition
for their helicoptor and numerous tanks? And here's an interesting
point: if Quinn and Denton are about the same age, as are
the rest of the Americans (I'm going on looks alone here),
then where did the Americans find the time to learn the techniques
and operational tactics they employ, given that the destruction
related to the audience in the beginning seemingly wipes out
everything on the continent in less time than it would take
to train them? ***
On certain grounds, the picture
is not a total loss. That it adheres to formula and contrivance
with such earnestness and a straight face makes it mildly
enjoyable on a tongue-in-cheek level. Bale gives a solid performance
as the guy who actions always have something to do with his
past, and McConaughey puts on such a charged bad-boy charm
that it's hard not to resist his zeal. As the movie comes
to its final act, a tour de force of special effects, we finally
see what we've come for: the male dragon, in all his wondrous,
spectacular glory, raising hell like there's no tomorrow (and
there probably wouldn't be, were it not for the routine ending).
These elements raise "Reign of Fire" above the level it dangerously
skirts on many occassions, but I still can't help but feel
that Bowman and his crew have done the dragons a mild injustice.
|
| Image
and Sound |
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen
image retains much of the splendor of the theatrical release
in terms of the gloomy appearance and a wonderful preservation
of the special effects. Much of the movie is cast in dark
blue tones that are meant to evoke a feeling of lifelessness
on Earth, and the image makes good use of color saturation
and balance to keep this in check. Some edges are a bit soft
as a result of this, but nothing too distracting to worry
about here. Fleshtones are accurate considering the setting,
and the special effects and pyrotechnics are just as believable
and convinving, not to mentioned detailed, as they were on
the big screen. It may not please technical buffs who prefer
flawless pictures or nothing at all, but those looking for
quality will no doubt be pleased. ***
The Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks
are even more impressive in their use of the available soundstage.
Both tracks exhibit wonderful recordings of the outlandish
action score from EDward Shearmur, natural-sounding dialogue
that remains centered when needed, and a distinct use of imaging
and directionalization that employs the surrounds for many
of the film's pounding sound effects. And speaking of pounding,
each step of the dragon's foot, every explosion, every swoop
of the fire-breather's wing, can be felt with deep, penetrating
bass that sounds clean in both tracks, but retains a slightly
enhanced resonance in the DTS track. In any case, both tracks
are satisfying and achieve reference quality status.
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