Reign of Fire

The makers of "Reign of Fire" have taken an awfully big risk in employing the same strategy Steven Spielberg used for his 1975 summer blockbuster "Jaws." Most moviegoers are probably expecting to see full-on views of this fantasy-thriller's main antagonists — hordes of predatory dragons. But instead, what they'll get are teasing, shadowy glimpses of the beasts.

That move was probably done for the same reason that Spielberg showed so little of his man-eating shark — budgetary constraints. And, oddly enough, it also allows the filmmakers to develop the human characters here.

While the result is that "Reign of Fire" has its share of tense moments, the film is really nothing more than a passable little B-movie. (Though, to its credit, it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that.)

The film's title refers to the relatively near future, when the Earth has been overrun by long-dormant dragons, awakened by London railway workers. In the years that follow, mankind becomes something of a nocturnal species, daring to come out of hiding only when the dragons are at their weakest, the so-called "magic hour" of twilight.

Leading a handful of survivors and orphans living just outside the ruins of London is Quinn (Christian Bale), who, as a young boy, witnessed the first dragon rampage. He blames himself for their reawakening, so he has dedicated his life to the protection of other people.

Taking a completely different approach is a small militia run by Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey, sporting fake tattoos and a bald dome). He and his troops have tracked the creatures to England and believe that there is just one male propagating the dragons. The thinking is that, if they can kill that male, they can end the threat once and for all.

When you finally do get to see the digitally created, fire-breathing predators — which occurs mostly in the film's thrilling final third — they are pretty impressive (kudos to Richard Hoover and his effects team).

And even though the plot is full of holes, director Rob Bowman and his cast do their best to make it convincing. Moments of unexpected humor — such as a tribute to "The Empire Strikes Back" that has to be seen to be believed — certainly help.

As for the stars, Bale is as solid as usual. McConaughey's performance, however, veers toward hamminess, but then, none of this is meant to be taken seriously.

"Reign of Fire" is rated PG-13 for violence (dragon attacks, gunplay, fiery mayhem), gore and occasional use of profanity and some crude slang terms. Running time: 100 minutes.

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