Skyline (2010)

The residents of Los Angeles are awakened in the dead of night by an eerie light beaming through the window. Like moths to a flame, the light source is drawing people outside before they suddenly vanish into thin air. As the world unravels around them, our band of survivors soon discover they must fight for their lives against the onslaught of a mysterious alien horde. Who or what are these extraterrestrials and how long before mankind succumbs to their overwhelming power? Skyline is a high velocity special effects bonanza in the tradition of Cloverfield and 2012.

This is the most up-to-date turkey we've had the misfortune to endure, and it certainly was a test of endurance. What you'll think of the most as you watch Skyline is something along the lines of "Wow! What an epic waste of time and money. Just imagine what they could've accomplished within the time it took them to make this film."

Let us get the good points out of the way first. The special effects look quite good... There we go! On to everything else about the film. 

We refuse to believe that Skyline had a script. It would be easier to believe that the events in the film actually did happen, if it wasn't for the characters being more dull and dumb than anyone could be in real life. Think of every clichéd bad decision you've seen in a disaster movie... done? Good, now you've seen ALL of Skyline. About half way through one of us said "Aliens are landing, and we're stuck following THESE people?!".

The plot doesn't go beyond "Aliens are landing" for 99% of the film. Which would be fine (there is nothing wrong with a bit of mystery) if the characters were believable, fun, we could relate to at least one of them, or provocative. And they're not.

But then, when Skyline is reaching its inevitable conclusion and we have all excepted that the alien's motives are mysterious, a big junk of exposition and explanation is forced upon us! The end could be seen. We were all so happy that we had reached it. And then it keeps on going, with an explanation that is both unnecessary and nonsensical. 

Skyline manages to make every bad move beyond up-to-date visual effects. In that respect its not like anything we've seen before. The sad thing is you can see a good film trying to get out while you're watching it, but it goes the wrong way at every turn.  

C.