REIGN OF FIRE (2002) **1/2 Oh man, if they ever make a computer that can calculate the kind of response this thing must have had around military bases. Post-dragon-apocalypse played across dark and incredible deprived and depraved sets; a milieu of hopelessness, what might possibly flourish there? Or anywhere? Ever? If it's slightly artsy and occasionally borderline cerebral none of that is allowed to get in the way of the fact that it's aimed squarely at teenage males, and people of every age and creed determined to measure human value almost entirely in terms of guts. You can just feel it, man: being a 16 year old and leaving the theater with your three best friends talkin' shit about what you'd do to a mfuggin dragon if it came at you , man. It wouldn't have been so powerful if Mathew McConaughey and Christian Bale weren't credible as the kind of guys who would have some kind of idea what to do other than, you know, run the other direction as fast as possible and forever. There is a kind of threatening framework of a romance that they erect fairly early, and some of us will be distracted in the hopes that they don't develop it before, you know, the closing credits. Very nice use of Jimi Hendrix music, I don't think you can say it wasn't well done.

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