Product Details

• Actors: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison
• Directors: Greg Strause, Colin Strause
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: March 22, 2011
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (369 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003Y5H5GK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,736 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Skyline" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Skyline, an effects-laden thriller from directors Colin and Greg Strause, wears its various influences--films like Alien, District 9, Independence Day, and War of the Worlds--on its sleeve, but even if it doesn't measure up to those predecessors, the film offers enough thrills and action to keep sci-fi fans interested. The Brothers Strause, as they call themselves, have done visual-effects work on blockbusters like Avatar, Titanic, and 300, and the effects are by far the best part of this tale (scripted by Joshua Cordes and Liam O'Donnell) about an armada of giant spaceships that suddenly appear in the skies over Los Angeles and immediately set about their business--namely, shooting down immense blue columns of light that hoover every human in sight up into the ships, where aliens will do nasty things to them. Observing this horror from a posh Marina Del Rey penthouse are a group of gorgeous, strikingly solipsistic young people in skimpy clothes, including Jarrod and Elaine (Eric Balfour and Scottie Thompson), a couple visiting from New York. A few action sequences find them trying to escape (bad idea, as the mother ships disgorge an endless supply of smaller, tentacled craft and troops of gross, city-stomping monsters to seek and destroy any luckless fool they encounter). But for the most part they huddle inside, watching the action, screaming hysterically, and uttering dialogue that's either cliché ridden ("What are those things?" "Does it even matter?!") or merely inane (mid-attack, Elaine, who's just learned that she's pregnant, complains when someone lights up a cigarette; you'd think she'd have more pressing concerns). And therein lies the problem, as some cool images and jolting moments are mitigated by Skyline's lame script and below-average acting. --Sam Graham

Product Description

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).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

160 of 183 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Falling Skies December 8, 2010

By Dark Faerie Tales

Format:DVD

The Review:

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.

67 of 77 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't be afraid to look up November 12, 2010

By Ian VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

"Skyline," for me, is a case of expectations getting dashed, but in a good way. When I first saw the trailer for the film I thought, "Oh wow, this looks awesome!" And then I learned that the guys who directed "Alien vs Predator: Requiem" were making it, and then I thought, "F***." I had very low expectations for "Skyline," and when going in, basically hoped that it would be at least tolerable, and not an incoherent mess of dark, murky shots where you couldn't tell what the hell was going on. Imagine my surprise then, when I was surprised to find myself not only enjoying Skyline, but actually liking it.

The best way to describe the plot is: "Cloverfield, but with aliens from outer space." Several attractive, snotty young people party like crazy, only to have their totally awesome lives interrupted when giant vacuum cleaners from space descend onto Los Angeles and start sucking up all the humans in sight, and start hunting down all the others who are in hiding.

"Skyline" has all the elements of your standard B grade Sci-Fi film, including characters who's names you can't remember, giant monsters, lots of explosions and gooey, icky stuff. But what makes it work for me is that for 80% of the film, we're with the main characters, and only know as much as they know. With no phone, no internet, and no television, we're in the dark as much as they are, and the film has an intimacy that works really well. Coupled with the brisk pace, the film moves along nicely from one event to the other and constantly has new things to show us, including the invaders themselves, who, thanks to some excellent visuals, are suitably creepy and menacing (especially when we find out exactly what they're after). But what really stands out about the film is the menacing tone, of tiny humans struggling to survive against an overwhelmingly powerful foe, which leads to an ending that, while feeling half finished, makes me have to give the filmmakers credit for trying something different.

Overall, "Skyline" is a solid B movie. It has thin characters (one of which, the building manager, for some reason, gave me the impression that he desperately wanted to rape the main character the first chance he got), and a thin plot, but it makes up for it with lots of action, a real sense of "being there", and a sense of meance that I really liked. If you go in expecting a sci-fi adventure film that's essentially a blend of "Cloverfield" and "Independence Day", you'll probably like it.

104 of 124 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow what a shock i really liked it. December 7, 2010

By W. freeman

Format:DVD

Being a lover of sci fi Alien films, (not the star trek or stargate stuff) i really was psyched about seeing this release. It didn't surprise me that critics hated it and fans loved it that usually how it works with these types of films. Well i tend to steer towards listening to the fans. On Rotten Tomatoes, they gave it a super low 15% which i thought was really harsh, while the fans gave it a 77%, which was more reasonable. Sure the acting is bland and the story thin, as with most Alien films, what do you want them to have, a deep story like Shawshank Redemption? The special effects are top notch and the action is non stop from beginning to end, with some occasional emotion in between. I must add the acting isn't bad, its just they don't have much dialogue. I mean "lets get out of here", "do you wanna stay and die?", "look out" and "holy S$%t what's happening?" are all part of disaster and sci fi films today, when the world is about to end. I love movies like Deep Impact, Twister, War Of The Worlds and even 2012(which did poorly) but lets face it, none of them had the best acting(maybe Deep Impact) or the best story line, but that's what it's suppose to be. Entertainment. Also the music is awesome and really adds to the intensity of the action sequences.

So yes i think people are being very harsh on this film just because it's not some creative overwhelming hard to understand film like Inception, which i disliked anyways. Sometimes people just want good intense action packed eye candy. And thats what you find here. Also one thing that i noticed is something really plausible in this film, yeah imagine that. There is a scene where two of the main characters are stuck on top of the building because they let the door shut behind them, one has a gun. Well when they go to escape he tries shooting off the door handle, or at it so the door will open. Thank GOD, it didnt work the first time or second, and as they try to pry it open someone opens it from the inside. How many movies do you see someone shoot a door handle and BAM they open it or crush in the door!! So at least something in an unlikely film that is realistic. As i mentioned the acting, its cardboardish because of the dialogue, but they do show emotion, get scared, cry, worry and run. They don't just laugh or make jokes and say "wow that was close" or make cheesy one line comic anecdotes like in a movie such as Independence Day. There is nothing funny about the situation and they don't make it that way. So enjoy this film for what it is and quit complaining, its been a long time since a good Alien film has been release, and this one is the best in years. (My opinion, don't be so picky).

Btw-If you liked War Of The Worlds(emotion wise), Independence Day(special effects wise), and parts of the second Aliens(gruesome wise), you'll love this. Also the movie is pretty graphic for PG-13 for you squemish people out there.