Skyline

I see many posters claims Skyline is the 'worst movie ever' - that isn't even close to true. This $10 million movie was way better than the $100 million Van Helsing. And also way better than Johnny Mnemonic which is the gold standard by which I judge all bad movies. I actually liked Skyline. It was by no means a great movie but props to the film makers for skipping all of the alien invasion clichés and going with something original. One poster compared it to a zombie movie and I did notice the similarity when I was watching it. The plot does have far more in common with a typical zombie movie than you usual alien invasion movie. Also, way more realistic than any alien invasion movie I've ever seen. Independence Day was fun to watch but it was just cotton candy not serious science fiction.

First, let's work on some maths: "Skyline" is an alien invasion flick that has a touted US$10 million budget! This amount is a shoestring for an alien attack film - it is not even enough to pay the salary of an A-list star! So now you can do the maths and understand why there are no big stars here.

If you had seen the trailer you might have been impressed by the CGI effects of the tentacled UFOs. This is probably where all the money have gone. Everything else, from its lame script and B-grade TV stars to its sets, are all hotch-potch and downright rudimentary. It is an exploitation film that seems destined for DVD.

Synopsis: After a night of heavy partying at a posh condo in Los Angeles, a bunch of friends are awakened in the early hours by mysterious beams of light from the skyline. Those who gaze on the light get entranced - like moths to a flame and get 'burnt up'. Yup, the alien ships have landed and the survivors at the condo unit, Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and his fiancée (Scottie Thompson, pictured below with Balfour), and their friends Terry (Donald Faison of TV's "Scrubs") and Candice (Brittany Daniel) must find a way to escape the aliens' grasp. But where can they run? There are so many things wrong with the movie that I don't know where to begin. The film, directed by the Brothers Strause who did the effects for "The X-FIles", centres the action inside the condo unit so much that we get the impression that LA is deserted and the only folks left are those in the half-empty building. No attempt is made to show the scope of the 'body snatching' and its effects on the millions of other city-dwellers.

Next, the main characters are being portrayed as such selfish and unsavoury people that we root for the aliens to take them away. This may be because the writers have not bothered to flesh out their backgrounds, except for a few predictable turns. The only one who comes on as real is David Sayas (of TV's "Dexter" fame) who plays the building supervisor. Also, the dialogue is lame and clichéd. The writers must have had the notion that audience interest can be sustained if they have the characters yell at one another.

There's no doubt that Strause brothers provide exhilarating special effects - but they need to work on getting a good story to go with their CGI magic. Otherwise it is just a damn waste.

I usually agree with IMDb ratings, but with this one I could not disagree more. 4.5???? Ridiculous. Yes, It's certainly not a masterpiece, and doesn't have an incredibly clever or elaborate script, however it has a lot of virtues that deserve a whole lot more than a poor 4.5: First the visual effects are really, really good. Second: the acting in my opinion was also very acceptable, very natural and according to the situation, the way normal humans would react to an extraordinary terrifying situation, an alien invasion; a few cliché dialog but nothing really to be annoyed for. Another plus is the end: incredibly bizarre and surprising, didn't see it coming. Finally and most important, it kept me interested all the way till the end, which is what a movie should do. Now, knowing that the budget for this movie was $10 million I honestly think the producers and the whole team did an excellent job. 7/10 seems a fair rating for me and I truly recommend it to sci-fi lovers despite the bad ratings.

The movie is an entertaining ride for the most part as long as you go into the movie prepared for something that will have no unique characters or a decent script. - I saw the movie fully expecting a bad script, characters I wouldn't like, no artful directing, and a plot that fails to do anything new or interesting. But I allowed myself to be entertained by it as a simple piece of sci-fi/monster action! This is what you must do if you go to see it!!

I was mostly inspired to do this review because I think the film doesn't deserve some of the really nasty 2/10 reviews I have seen.

Basically the aliens and each confrontation against them are generally exciting and save the film. Considering the film was made on quite a small budget they did a great job with the effects. I think fans of video games like the RESISTANCE series or HALF LIFE should be able to enjoy it a bit more than most.

A lot of people have been to harsh on this film, it is clear from the trailer this is just another alien invasion movie. Anyone who watches it expecting a modern sci-fi classic like District 9 will be disappointed - so don't do that.

Basically if you are unsure about seeing the film but enjoy sci-fi/monster movies for nothing but quick entertainment you should get something out of it.

Just saw an advance screening of this new sci-fi would be epic and although I won't give away too much of the plot (as wafer thin as it is)I will say the conclusion has shades of District 9, looks to be there for a Skyline part 2. After a gleaming light blankets over Los Angeles one random morning @430am, it lures people outside. Looking directly into the light causes a dire effect which is part of the problem. None of that is explained. Eric Balfour is a good looking leading man, pity his chiseled features out weigh his acting ability. However in his defence, the script sucks, I could write a better one over breakfast. The special effects are certainly effective for the most part. My favourite moments are when the bad boy aliens are on the attack against Stealth jets and the view from the rooftops are outstanding visuals. The trailer was certainly interesting and the film simply doesn't back up the premise. War of the worlds and Independence Day have had a baby, it's called SKYLINE. Worth a look, it's a good sci-fi curiosity and the female leads are all gorgeous which helps matters with such a soft screenplay.