Review of Beyond Skyline (2017) by Alex W — 05 Jan 2018

Wow. I never expected "Skyline (2011)" to get a sequel, but recalling the near A-list film, it really wasn't that bad. I remember thinking that the aliens were very cool and super video-game-esque, well before Pacific Rim was a thing, and that the plot was a bid rudimentry, but all together it kind of worked.

Beyond Skyline is much better than the original. It takes the sweet aliens, improves upon their lore, and has a clearly defined beginning, middle and end, drastically improving upon the "sudden alien attack/immediate response" of the original.

The first arc is similar to the original, with a bit of a "mimic" feel to it, then we somehow get transported to Thailand where all of a sudden Iko Uwais (the Raid) makes an appearance and starts doing his amazing Muai Thai on .

.. the Aliens, which, yes, is cheesy, but it was also undeniably cool as shit. Even Mad Dog makes his appearance! So thats the second arc, and then, I dont want to spoil anything, but the third and final arc of this semi lengthy film, is really cool, and you'll have to watch the movie to find out.

So a few things to keep in mind with this movie, If you don't think of it as an awesome Video Game Cutscene, you'll likely find it stupid and cheesy. But all it takes is a change in your frame of mind, and suddenly it becomes really damn cool.

Whatever Alien race is featured in this movie is pretty much the kind of alines we're always dealing with in games like Mass Effect. The Giant robots they pilot are just like Pacific Rim, and the way they harvest humans is a bit like Alien.

All in all, for what this movie is, which is OBVIOUSLY trying to appeal to Gamers and fans of CG and Kung-Fu, this movie kicks ass. I'd give it a solid 7/10 on the same scale I'd use to rate Hollywood films.

For a straight-to-DVD release, this is top notch. If you're over 45 this movie might be a bit of a tough sell, but you'll likely appreciate the fight choreography Iko brings to the film. Frank Grillo is also an excellent fighter.

Check out his other movie currently on demand, "Wolf Warrior II".