Review of film: "SKYLINE" ( a sci-fi about unfriendly aliens who attack the Earth )

Review of film:  “SKYLINE”

One of the best companies doing SPECIAL EFFECTS is HYDRAULX, run by the Brothers Colin & Gregor STRAUSE.  They’ve worked on films such as “BENJAMIN BUTTON”, “2012”, “IRON MAN 2” & “AVATAR”, & decided to make their OWN movie (using their expertise & some of their personal money), & the result is “SKYLINE”…

…  As the film starts, graphic artist / photographer Jarrod (ERIC BALFOUR) takes his girlfriend Elaine (SCOTTIE THOMPSON) to visit an old now-well-to-do friend Terry (DONALD FAISON) who was to celebrate his birthday at his expensive penthouse condo in the Los Angeles area…

…  At the party, they meet a bunch of Donald’s friends, such as Candice (BRITTANY DANIEL), Denise (CRYSTAL REED), Ray (NEIL HOPKINS), & a neighbor Oliver (DAVID ZAYAS) who complains about all the noise from the celebration…

…  As Eric & Scottie try to sleep after the festivities, they are awakened by loud rumblings, a shaking building and a city which is bathed in strange blue LIGHTS that seem to be falling down from the sky.  Neil (& others) are attracted by the bizarre lights-- & seem to suddenly disappear “INTO” those lights…

…  Those rays also cause people like Eric to develop disconcerting DEFECTS on their bodies, which grow worse as they’re hit by the light and better as they get away from the beams.  Clearly, things are “NOT RIGHT” in L.A. -- & the cause isn’t the usual “gossip-mongering”!...

…  Eric & gun-toting Donald decide to INVESTIGATE what’s going on.  The more they check into things around the building & view surrounding areas, the WORSE things look.  The illuminations quickly show themselves to be linked with a series of peculiar organic TENTACLED creatures that fly thru the air & stomp around as they work to ATTACK & GOBBLE-UP any people they see (& we aren’t talking a THANKSGIVING celebration here!)…

…  Seeing that the attacks of the “Blue Light” special Creatures are very widespread & increasingly violent, Eric & Donald & others try to determine a way to ESCAPE from the building area.  Things do NOT go well in their plans, & the group (often led by David) grows ever more distressed…

…  Will getting away to the nearby OCEAN provide a safe area for the group (as they hypothesize)?...  Will the gang actually be ABLE to escape to there (or anywhere)?...  Since the creatures at times appear able to RE-ANIMATE themselves even when they seem to be “killed” by military actions against them, will that prove to be disastrous to our Band of “Others”?...

…  An associate of mine said, the fact that the advance screening was being held at 11 PM on the day before the planned release of the film gave the impression that was being done to AVOID having critics who’d “slam” the film beforehand, a sign to him that it was likely to be a LOUSY film…

…  I did NOT find the film to be rotten:  as I’d forecast, it had some EXCELLENT SPECIAL-EFFECTS (more than 800 of them!).  Yes, the dialogue was not very well-done, but that’s true of loads of films nowadays, & thus it didn’t particularly “stand-out” in that regard.  And, I didn’t care that most of the cast was made up of “unknowns” (since their acting was OK given the story line)…

…  Another friend complained that the film had no definitive “END” to it.  But, as I pointed out, the actions just before the conclusion did NOT take the “easy way out” of a sappy “HAPPY” end--  & it all came across to me as a clear “SET-UP” for a possible SEQUEL based on what Eric’s character was “moving” towards at the finish (akin to some of the ideas in the “BORG” world of “STAR TREK” scenarios)…

…  The movie is certainly not “magnificent” in any way (outside of the CGI effects).  It was often overly-REPETITIVE in some of the scenes (with slight “variations” on what “happened” with the creatures)… 

…  But, looking for the “good elements”, I ENJOYED certain essentials of the sci-fi creativity inherent in it, & thus I’m rating it at 7.25 out of 10 stars…