The story revolves around Jarrod and Elaine who arrive in Los Angles to visit old friend Terry on his birthday (Turk from Scrubs, playing Turk from Scrubs). At around 4am these brightly blue, luminescent rays descend from the skies and strike LA at various points over the city. The protagonists swiftly realise it is the beginning of an alien invasion, and have to find a way out of their predicament. With little success, they find themselves confined in their apartment building by the horrors outside.
The problem with Skyline is in its complete and utter lack of any originality. Clearly, unique thought was at a premium in the scripwriter’s house as it plays like a shopping list of derivative sci fi. From The Mist to The Matrix, by way of Independence Day, Cloverfield and District 9, there’s a lot of other people’s ideas on show.
Additionally, one thing I really hate about bad creature features and horror movies is when the villain or monster stops doing whatever it is that makes them fearsome in the first place (there is mild spoiler ahead). For example, they set the aliens up from the start as being able to kill people very easily – with either their mind control rays or fearsome tentacles – so how is it then that a human being is able to wail on one with his bare fists in a big alien vs person punch up? Why doesn’t it just shoot a tentacle at him and kill him? Lame.
However as I mentioned above, although flawed it is not without merit. The effects are great and there are a couple of really cracking set pieces. A chase through the building courtyard and an E.B.E. assault atop the roof provide robust thrills aplenty.
Additionally the alien design MUST have been drawing inspiration (pun intended) from Mike Mignola and John Arcudi’s B.P.R.D. series, in particular the apocalyptic scenes from the Black Flame storyline, as they look to be riffing heavily on the frog design (see picture). This is however a compliment as they look grubbily realistic. The extraterrestrials look great and the effects are largely impressive and cool.
Actor wise, we have the likeable Donald Faison, as mentioned. As well as Eric Balfour who is better known as being the weasel-y guy from Six Feet Under and one of the people who thought that remaking the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a good idea (note: it WASN’T).
Another of the main four is played by Brittany Daniel - one half of the Sweet Valley High tv series twins, of yore. The kind of Californian aryan surfette that you heretofore probably thought existed only in Charlie Sheen’s mind. She was actually pretty good and one of the better actors in this thing.
Ultimately though, the film is marred by the wretchedly abysmal ending that rips off District 9 so badly they ought to be ASHAMED. At the very least they ought to give Neill Blomkamp a writing credit! There is no explanation for what happens at the finale AT ALL, feeling like the movie finished without a proper end and leaving you wondering aloud about what the fuck just happened. It’s lazy and cheap and kind of insulting. What a drag.
What really makes it all a big fat shame is that Skyline was self financed by the Strause Brothers. It’s an admirable approach and sounds much like the way in which the criminally underrated Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow was conceived. But whereas Sky Captain was a lovingly seasoned homage to the likes of the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon movie serials, Skyline scoffs too much off the plate of its forbears. To go to such great lengths and means of making the film in this way should be applauded, but I just wish that the story had been there to back it up.
Despite all this, and some dodgy acting, the effects are top notch and mean that it does remain mostly watchable. Even while it’s shameless pilfering of better sci-fi is brazenly shoved in front of you, it has just enough enjoyable moments in it to make it worth a watch. And given time, it could even become a guilty pleasure.
IMDB: Skyline
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