_**Grim tale of the dragon apocalypse**_ Dormant fire-breathing dragons are awoken in subterranean chambers and proceed to unleash hell on earth. Almost two decades later a group of survivors led by Quinn (Christian Bale) live underground in England when American militants pay them a visit, led by seeming-psycho Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey). It seems they have a strategy to slay the dragons once-and-for-all. Izabella Scorupco plays the woman stuck between the two rival leaders. "Reign of Fire" (2002) is similar to the Mad Max films, but without the comic book goofiness. This is a solemn, grey tale with a quality cast, convincing sets/costumes and surprisingly effective CGI. I gained greater respect for McConaughey as he is unrecognizable as the bald combative and loses himself in the role. Unfortunately, the storytelling is weak. It’s just not that compelling, which isn’t helped by the mumbled dialogue and ambiguities. Still, if you can adapt to the viewer-unfriendly style, there’s a lot to appreciate here. The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes and was shot in Ireland. GRADE: B-/C+
