Today’s quick review: Beyond Skyline. When an alien attack devastates Los Angeles, Mark Corley (Frank Grillo), a washed-up Los Angeles police officer, and his son Trent (Jonny Weston) lead a group of survivors across the city in search of safety. But when an alien warship captures the remaining members of the group, Mark and the others are given a unique opportunity to take the fight to the aliens by using their own technology against them.
Beyond Skyline is a budget sci-fi action movie that picks up where the original Skyline left off. Decent special effects let the movie indulge in plenty of alien-fighting action, which takes advantage of the solid alien designs seen in the first film. But poor storytelling and bland characters keep Beyond Skyline from having much impact, forcing the film to rely entirely on spectacle. The result is a popcorn action flick that misses the mark.
Beyond Skyline suffers from an acute lack of tension. The original Skyline was a survival movie that made sure its aliens were mysterious, frightening, and nearly impossible to kill. The sequel scraps that angle in favor of more action, a reasonable progression for the franchise but one that ends up costing the film its dramatic tension. The aliens lack menace, making the story feel more like a series of events than an actual struggle.
Beyond Skyline has other storytelling issues that hurt it. The film races through the invasion of Los Angeles to catch its new characters up to the ending of the first film. From there it zigzags haphazardly, relying on half-baked plot devices to drive the story forward and trying to build drama with flat characters. Beyond Skyline does cover the basics of the genre, but it gets caught between its darker roots and the adventure it wants to be.
Give Beyond Skyline a shot when you’re in the mood for budget sci-fi action and aren’t too particular about plot. Beyond Skyline is a sideways step from the first film, trading the tension of the original for more action while keeping many of the same flaws. The movie does earn points for spectacle, but its flaws are pervasive enough that most viewers would be better off with one of the other movies in the genre.
For an alien invasion movie in a similar vein, check out Skyline, The Darkest Hour, or Revolt. For one with a bigger budget and a more fun attitude, check out Independence Day or Pacific Rim. For a sci-fi movie that blends action, tension, and mystery with greater success, try Prometheus.
5.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for decent action held back by weak storytelling.