Skyline

Skyline.

Spoilers
Spoilers
Spoilers


It feels, like a pilot for a TV series. Its about the same length. Just under an hour a half.
It even has recognisable stars. Turk, from Scrubs, and Detective Angel from Dexter.

Anyway, Turk is playing almost the same character he plays in scrubs. He is the cool friend of a white guy. Instead of being a surgeon, he has made it big on the west coast. So, the lead, Jarrod comes to visit Turk, with his girlfriend in tow. The girlfriend, has become pregnant. As it telegraphed to us, the viewer. With his gf, getting morning sickness.

The film, is a series of homages. The most obvious is Cloverfield. Which is one of my favourite films of all time. I was surprised, that when Turk, was showing his friends his new home. He did not say. That the gf, belongs with them among the clouds- Starwars-Lando reference.

Anyway, there is a party. Which I guess, it to introduce, the fact that there is a telescope, in the flat. Lifter from Sliver. Anyway the party is interrupted by Aliens. Which use a blue light to bring people towards, them. Another guest. Has been dragged out to meet his death, and Jarrod is just saved by Turks intervention

Looking outside, our heroes see a ruined city. There is a great scene, when turning on the TV reveals 24 hour news stations broadcasting empty chairs. Twitter is dead, from 4am PST.

An attempt to escape to the marina. Is foiled, by a monster. Which kills Turk, and allows him to be replaced by Angel, from Dexter. The monster is straight from Cloverfield. Before that there had been a homage to Jurassic park, and the original war of the world. As Turk, hid in a flat, with his elderly neighbour

The attempted escape, is foiled by the Alien monsters. A couple are introduced, before being quickly despatched. A sub plot with Turk and his secretary/mistress is quickly wrapped up, with her death. A pity she looked like a young Eliza Dusku

Angel is introduced to be a protagonist. He pooh poohs, any attempt to get to the marina. He tells everyone to sit tight, and tries to get Jarrod to think positive. Jarrods gf, announces she is pregnant, when Turks gfs lights up. There is an attempt to introduce tension. Oh and time lapse. The toilets stop working. Though this is contradicted in a later scene. Where Angel comes out of the bathroom.

The US air force attack, with drones. They nuke one of the ships. Angel looking at the ship with the telescope is temporarily blinded by the flash. Nice touch. However the nuke, only works partially. The ship is knocked, down abut the aliens, are still buzzing.

The US airforce, do not use any more nukes. In the same way we stopped fighting world war two, when a bullet, did not stop the Nazi's

There is pitched fighting. Between the Aliens, and the survivors. The US army intervenes. They are less effective, than Jarrod and his girlfriend. Aliens are killed buildings are destroyed. There is a a Tom cruise war of the worlds reference. A soldier with a bazooka. However it is all for naught. The Aliens, capture of heroes. The couple. Who lock, in a kiss as they are brought up to the alien ship

There Jarrod, has his brain removed, to be turned into an Alien killing machine, but instead saves his baby and girl

It was okay. Mercifully short. There was no great characterisation here. You can imagine, this was originally written, with the hope Will Smith, and one of the Affleck's, would play the leads. Its a rip off of clover field, and a number of Alien invasion movies. There was a moral tacked onto the end. Jarrod despite his fears became a father. Despite not having a five year plan, and the Concierge's doubts. He protected his family.

The effects are okay. They have clearly borrowed from Cloverfield, and Predator, as well as independence day for their look

I was in mind of the blood control scenes, in Doctor who, the Christmas Invasion, when I saw this for the first time. More could have been made of the tension, of sharing a flat with strangers, and grief, but I guess that ended up on the cutting room floor

Like Rise of Planet of the Apes, feels like a pilot, or a TV movie.

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