Skyline---Look Away!

At what point should I have left the theater? When the harried protagonists watched a nearby nuclear blast without any negligible consequence? When the male lead first "stared into the light" to become somehow infected by an alien presence? Or when I realized the alien invasion was motivated by a need to eat human brains (one can imagine how hungry these poor aliens were going through the universe in search of such rare and unsatisfying nourishment).

I always believe in writing a positive review. I don't want to tear apart a book or film. There is usually something worthwhile in even the worst endeavor. However, the only good thing about Skyline, its effects, is also the most disappointing element of the film. Skyline represents why the dropping cost of special effects is a mixed blessing for fans. Now a film maker can put something visually striking on the screen and still deliver the sort of story logic and hapless dialogue one used to get for a "B" drive-in film during the 1960's. This isn't just a horrendous film, it will stand as a monument to why 2010 has been such a bad year for the motion picture industry.

The Brothers Strause, the creative force behind Skyline should have stuck to doing the sort of special effects they did for such films as The X-Files and Titanic, and left directing a motion picture to more talented minds.