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Skyline is the new alien invasion disaster movie and it's been dinged pretty hard by some mainstream reviewers. I saw it opening day and I think that it's actually one of the better alien invasion movies, emphasis on the word alien. It's Independence Day done right.
Skyline is set in modern day LA and chronicles 3 days in the life of a small group trying to survive a close encounter of the worst kind. Overnight a massive alien invasion force appears in the skies over LA and begin abducting Los Angelinos by the millions. What's impressive about this movie beyond stellar special effects is that the aliens are actually alien as opposed to typical Hollywood aliens. You see, aliens are seldom very alien in pop culture. Think about it. Vulcans, Klingons, Kryptonians look a lot like us. Ten fingers, ten toes, one mouth. That's awfully unlikely, right? The best alien movies like Alien, The Thing, have the most memorable, truly alien life forms. Skyline's aliens fall into that category. They are relentless, powerful and genocidal. And there is NO explanation of what they are, where they come from and why they are making mincemeat of humanity. This, I think, is where the film takes its biggest risk that I feel paid off but likely alienated some audiences (pun intended).
But consider how ridiculous it would be to have an alien species explain its motivations to you in some contrived monologue or have some scientist decipher their intentions in a matter of hours or days. Or even how we'd have any basis by which to surmise their motivations, language or technology. Consider whether other species even have motivations.
SPOILER ALERT: The film also eschews the Hollywood ending somewhat because there isn't any deus ex machina to save the day. Aliens capable of interstellar travel can almost certainly kick humanity's butt. No contest. There's no McGuffin a la Independence Day that let's us pull a Hail Mary at the end to save the day. The movie ends abruptly and sets itself up for a sequel. END SPOILER.
Aside from the abrubt ending, Skyline gets it right. The aliens are frightening, the story well told and the parts well played. If you like everything explained to you though, then this movie might be a little jarring, but keep in mind truly alien antogonists are unlikely to tell you their motivations or have easily exploitable weaknesses.
FTC Advisory: We purchased our own tickets.
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Skyline (2011)It was supposed to be a simple birthday weekend in Southern California. But when sunrise arrives two hours early in the form of a haunting light from an unknown source, a group of friends watch in terror as people across the city are drawn outside and swept into massive alien ships that have blotted out the L.A. skyline. From tankers to drones and hydra-like extraterrestrials, the aliens are inescapable and seemingly indestructible. Now, it will take every survival instinct the group has to elude capture in this riveting, action-packed sci-fi adventure starring Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Donald Faison ("Scrubs") and Scottie Thompson (Star Trek).
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