Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Deadly, dull alien attack movie has scary, gross effects.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Skyline
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say the film features impressive special effects but suffers from a confusing and lacking plot, leaving many viewers unsatisfied and with unanswered questions. Despite its thrilling elements and moments of action, many reviews indicate that the character development is poor and the movie is not appropriate for younger audiences due to its violence and language.
- confusing plot
- poor character development
- impressive effects
- unsuitable for kids
- lack of explanation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In SKYLINE, Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson) fly to Los Angeles to visit Jarrod's old friend, Terry (Donald Faison), who works in special effects in the movie business. They throw a wild birthday party for Terry, who cheats on his wife (Brittany Daniel) with his assistant (Crystal Reed). That night, huge alien spaceships attack the city and begin abducting humans by sucking them up into the sky. Smaller alien probes then begin scouring the city, using special lights to hypnotize victims. Can the five heroes survive by hiding out in Terry's apartment, or should they try to make a run for it? Better still, can they discover the reason for the attack?
Is It Any Good?
Directed by brothers Colin and Greg Strause, the film has an immediate low-budget feel, since the story takes place in a big city and has a tiny cast. And even when Skyline focuses on its few human characters, none of them feel like real people, and none of them share any on-screen chemistry.
Things should get more interesting when the aliens attack, but the cheap-looking CG effects—and creatures cobbled together from those in a dozen other movies—make even the boring humans look interesting. The movie tries not to put all of its cards on the table right away, but in hiding certain information, things only become more illogical. (The aliens' behavior doesn't always make sense.) Still, the combination of giant, cheesy monster attacks and half-baked characters may attract audiences who enjoy it ironically.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Skyline's violence. Is it scary? Does the violence and gore contribute to the story at all?
What do the aliens want? How do they go about getting it? Is there any way that their behavior resembles that of humans? What can we learn from this comparison?
Could Jarrod be considered the hero of this story? What can you learn from him? And what traits of his should you avoid?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 12, 2010
- On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2023
- Cast : Donald Faison , Eric Balfour , Scottie Thompson
- Directors : Colin Strause , Greg Strause
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Rogue Pictures , Universal Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, some language, and brief sexual content
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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