Skyline (2010)) *Snap Judgement*	Sex :
	Violence :

Director	Colin Strause, Greg Strause
Writers	Joshua Cordes, Liam O'Donnell
Starring	Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, David Zayas, Crystal Reed
Genre	Sci-Fi
Tagline	Soon, our first encounter will become our last stand.
Country

Review

The Brothers Strause managed to end the short lived AvP2 franchise and in the process made Paul W.S Anderson's first movie look like it should have swept the Oscars. Well they are back with another big budget Sci-Fi effort and one has to wonder who the hell thought it was a good idea to throw the Director's chair at the duo. Skyline is a mess that improbably drags in parts of The Return of the Living Dead (1985), The Matrix (1999), and Independence Day (1996).

After a night of heavy partying, due to it being Turk's Terry's birthday, a group of friends are awakened at 4.30am by strange lights. The Directors thought this was such a cool concept they actually pop back in time to repeat the dose to the utter bewilderment of the Audience, those that weren't already doubled up laughing of course. Turns out the much put upon LA is under Alien attack with these beams of light attracting people like moths to a flame of ineptitude. Said people are whisked up into Alien ships to have their brains sucked out. Yes Alien invaders who can build nigh on indestructible ships are in reality intergalactic undead who want brains! Terry and his posse spend the rest of the movie bitching amongst themselves, hiding out in Terry's penthouse apartment from Matrix CGI effects, and otherwise not doing a lot. Thankfully Sgt. Angel Batista Superintendent Oliver is on hand to ensure the Audience know we are at war. No kidding Sherlock! Oh and without spoilers the ending had me wanting to throw a popcorn container at the screen, trite and beyond the realms of viewer endurance comes to mind.

So I like to say something nice about a movie, and I have to admit my fourteen year old companion for the movie excursion thought it was “awesome”, but am having to really drag the bottom of the cinematic swamp to get somewhere with this one. The pacing is pretty frenetic with some edge of the seat moments. David Zayas (Oliver) turns in a professional performance that had me rooting for him, as opposed to the rest of the cardboard cut outs on screen. And I didn't note the boom mike getting into frame at any stage of the merciful short 90 minute run time. Okay that's it I'm out on the appreciation front.

Skyline is one of those movies where you wonder if we are actually going to get a plot. Sure arguable it's a bunch of people who don't know what's going down trying to survive brain demanding Aliens, but this is the movies, where is my script with an idea of what it's doing or Will Smith uploading a virus or something? All I got to watch was a bunch of obnoxious yanks yell at each other to a backdrop of CGI mayhem. Nothing happens in this movie beyond the next over blown special effects laden scene, there's no attempt at explaining anything, or heaven forbid actually giving us any character development beyond the most perfunctionary introduction of this movie's crop of blandness. Elaine is pregnant, Terry wants Jarrod to come work with him, and Terry is having a bit on the side with Denise (sorry no T&A there kids). That's it for character motivations. Actually the Strause brothers have pretty much distilled the movie going experience to exactly what the target demographics want, CGI mayhem and to hell with anything else.

While the CGI is pretty darn good, rivalling the best of Wheta, I couldn't help feeling that I had seen it all before. Besides the obvious borrowings from The Matrix the actual creature look and feel had a worn out “seen it before got the tee” thing going down. There's nothing new happening here with even the main ship introduction having been foreshadowed by Independence Day. Actually thinking about it the script writers may be big fans of District 9 (2009), though that movie did it a whole hell of a lot better. Where the reliance on excellent CGI falls apart is that is all that Skyline has going for it, without the human drama it's simply a video game on the screen with no feeling or soul. But if you dig the special effects then dive right in.

Should also mention LA isn't the only City under attack by the pan-galactic walking dead, we get quick glimpses of the devastation wrought on other major places, though it's more likely to bemuse you than add any credence to an already labouring movie.

So I'm not going to pound this gift horse, should that be Trojan horse? - into mush, it's a pretty bad experience albeit wrapped up in some pretty impressive looking wrapping. If all you want from a movie is some flash in the pan, not going to say which pan, then dial in and have yourself a good time. If after a film that has some resonance and an actual plot then you are in the wrong cinema. One of those bland flicks that the teens will find entertaining but which wont appeal to anyone else. Go catch it if after a diversion for a young person in your care, else save your dollars for something a whole lot better.

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