Pop Goes the Culture!

The movie starts in London, on a construction site for what appears to be an expansion to the London Underground. Young Quinn is going to visit his mother, who is a foreman type on the site. The drillers have hit a "void," and Quinn, of course, heads to check it out. Asked by a construction worker to go in the hole and see what he can see, our intrepid hero wanders right into the dragon's lair.

And all hell breaks loose. Or at least one dragon.

Fast forward about 10-20 years, wherein the dragons have destroyed civilization, breeding like rabbits, and living off the ash they create burning things with their fire breath.

A small band of survivors, led by the adult Quinn, are living in a ruined castle in Northumberland and struggling to stay alive, with what few crops they can manage to farm.

Enter Van Zandt, a rough-and-tumble American, with tanks and a helicopter and a pretty pilot/scientist named Alex. They have a method to destroy the dragons, and the madness to use it.

The dragon effects were wonderful, and the plot rather simple. But what more can you expect from a summer action flick? McConaughey does the crazy tough-guy perfectly - someone you're not necessarily supposed to like, and you don't. And he's terribly ripped - he did a good job working out to get into shape for this film. Bale does a good enough job with Quinn; the likeable hero. Scorupco does a good job with token female role, though she's not given a lot to do. But one of the best characters is played by Butler, childhood friend of Quinn's named Creedy. He has the charm and the screen presence that make you turn to look at him whenever he's on the screen.

One of my favorite scenes trades on pop culture, and I would spoil it terribly by talking about it. So let's just say that, if a Dark Age came tomorrow, today's movies might become tomorrow's great dramas.

If you love fantasy action flicks, take your time on a weekend to go to a matinee. Treat yourself and enjoy it.