Skyline

Skyline is a theatrical release about a horrific alien invasion in which mankind has utterly no hope of surviving. The trailers seemed spectacular and the special effects top notch with plumes of blue energy plummeting to the Earth heralding the invasion. Then reality sets in.

 

 
I was fortunate to see Skyline at no cost because I don't think the movie is worth paying for. I'm with the reviewers that saw Skyline and thought it should have been a Syfy Channel Original Movie. Yes, the special-effects are better than what you'd see in a made-for-TV production, but the story is exactly what I'd expect from one.

This can't be happening!

Skyline uses a storytelling technique that is a strong indication of a weak story and one that I personally dislike. It starts out in the midst of the alien invasion and then several minutes into the gripping beginning we get a sub-title that says 15 Hours Earlier! (The TV series The Event suddenly came to mind). I suppose its an attempt to help the audience connect with the characters, but at that point, in my opinion, the movie really isn't worth watching. 

Sadly, Skyline features a cast of TV actors which solidifies the argument this should have been a made-for-TV movie. The characters aren't the least bit interesting or even worth delving into their backgrounds which thankfully we're not given much of.

The film stars Eric Balfour (Haven, 24 and Six Feet Under) as Jarrod, Donald Faison (Scrubs) as Terry, Scottie Thompson (Trauma) as Elaine and Brittany Daniel (Kelly Pitts from The Game) as Candice. I want to single out Brittany Daniel's character for a moment. No offense Brittany. I love you as an actress but we really need to see more range. The character of Candice was no different from the character she plays on The Game. A woman who gets by on her gorgeous looks to land a man with money and then the relationship goes sour. They might as well have called her Kelly.

Kelly Pitts, is that you?

I haven't had to do this in a while, but why is this black man in this film?

This "brainless" (and I do mean that literally) affair gets even more bizarre when half of the city is laid waste by the alien invaders and hundreds of people are seen being sucked up into the giant mother ship. Yet, during all this mayhem, the building the main characters inhabit, still has electricity, running water and elevator service. It seemed almost an after-thought that the electricity and water was finally cut off near the conclusion of the film. 

Skyline instills a sliver of hope with a preemptive Air Force strike that appears to destroy the mother ship, only to have it resurrect itself minutes later. The aliens are depicted as a mix of insectoid, squid-like creatures (I was reminded of Starship Troopers) and machine. To make the storyline even more absurd, there is another unwelcome plot twist at work where Jarrod becomes some sort of alien-hybrid with super powers.

Don't look into the light!

If you're looking for an alien invasion movie there are much better ones out there, such as Cloverfield (if you can stand the hand-held camera perspective). This one just doesn't make the grade.  Out of 5 fingers I'm giving Skyline 1.5.