Welcome to episode 283 of your favorite movie analysis podcast, the GoodTrash GenreCast! This week’s episode is a discussion of the before-they-were-huge Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale action piece, Reign of Fire (2002). And, Gerard Butler is there, too. In the sixteen years since the films release, we question how it holds up and whether or not it has anything worth saying.
Entering the Reign of Fire
Set in post-apocalyptic England, man has accidentally unleashed Dragon into the world. We are told that the dragons return every few centuries to wipe out man before going back into hibernation. It’s a circle of life. Quinn (Bale) and Creedy (Butler) watch over a group of survivors on the outskirts of London. They do their best to survive. After a dragon attack, a mysterious band of American warriors appear in helicopters and tanks, led by Van Zan (McConaughey). Van Zan claims to be a dragon killer, but Quinn must decide whether he believes him or not.
Audience, this movie is straight up our alley. Not to give too much away, but we had a good time with this one. We kick things off as always with a quick Reign of Fire review. We then play our weekly game—and it’s as convoluted as you’d expect with this movie. We have fun.
Finally, we bring our analysis to the film. We discuss meta texts, the films discourse on 9/11 and taking care of the planet. We also discuss the world established in this film. All of that comes before we render our verdict. Is it shelf worthy? Or does it go in the trash?
Uh oh, the dragon is coming! Tune in to find out!
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Arthur is a creator of content, lover of movies, and father of dogs. If you want to keep the conversation going, then click here to follow Arthur on Twitter. If you would like to keep up with what Arthur is watching, then head over to Letterboxd and give him a follow!
