SKYLINE Review

In what is essentially a mash up of every alien invader film ever made before this, 'Skyline' is a sad excuse for an original story with its only reasons for getting the rating it does being for the amazing quality of the special effects. These effects are what separate 'Skyline' from simply becoming another sci-fi channel original, and most of the time you are sitting there watching this you will be wondering how it didn't end up on that station. Instead of thinking about how lifeless, how unoriginal or how much you don't care about the people on screen you will instead be wondering what idiot decided this was a good idea. I'm not sure of the reputation the Strause brothers have earned in Hollywood, but I know they've directed a AVP film and that combined with this doesn't bode well for me or should it with anyone who loves a good sci-fi film. I was impressed by the teaser trailer and was no doubt intrigued but by the time the feature trailer came around and we actually caught a glimpse of the acting and what this film was actually going to be about I doubted it heavily. So much to the point that I questioned going to see it, but I couldn't shake the feeling it might have some kind of potential. Never have I been more wrong. It is by far one of the worst films I've seen all year. It begins in what is supposed to be a hook of a beginning but isn't mysterious or intriguing by any means and returns to the beginning point much to quickly after it travels back in time 15 hours. None of these C-list actors are convey any connection to their audience, only Scottie Thompson is able to evoke any kind of sympathy. If they were going to make a carbon copy of Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds' from a few years they could have at least picked a batch of more interesting people to document through this alien invasion. Whereas Spielberg stayed narrow and focused on how such a catastrophic event affected a single father and his estranged children, 'Skyline' attempts to copy, but with young 20-somethings who we dislike before the aliens even begin to show up. Its almost as if they should have gone the other route and showed more of the mass amounts of people getting attacked (which they do at some points and it is clearly the most emotionally moving part of an otherwise stale film). As I am writing this I am really trying to come up with at least a few good things to say about this movie, but to be honest, I truly can't. Visually, it does look amazing, but even the design of the alien invaders didn't appeal to me and the ending, let's not even discuss the ending. It is ridiculous, completely awful and leaves it wide open for a sequel that let's pray to God never happens. Yea, it was that bad.

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