The large majority of sequels tend to be pale imitations of the original. Sometimes, they equal it in terms of accomplishment without managing to really explore any new ground (John Wick, Guardians of the Galaxy). Others, such as Starship Troopers, Tremors and From Dusk Till Dawn, are just cheap knock-offs in a thinly-veiled attempt to cash-in on a fanbase. Very occasionally, they turn out to be better than their predecessor. Released in 2010, it’s fair to say that Skyline was a huge disappointment. Beyond Skyline, its (kind of) sequel, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable romp.
Mark (Frank Grillo) is a washed-up LAPD detective who is taking a break from solving crimes after the death of his wife. Trent (Jonny Weston) is his disturbed teenage son who is one arrest away from prison. When a strange blue light starts taking everyone away, they team up with a subway driver (Bojana Novakovic), Mark’s former partner (Jacob Vargas) and a blind man (Antonio Fargas) in order to save the world.
Whilst the Brothers Straus’ Skyline was an often-unintelligible mess, Liam O’Donnell’s loose sequel is much more focussed. In saying that, there’s hardly time to draw breath as Grillo shoots and punches his way through a series of action set-pieces. He’s joined by the Raid’s Iko Uwais when mysteriously dropped into a South Asian jungle. The special effects are very impressive. Some of the alien scenes are mesmerising. Beyond Skyline is an entertaining unrelenting rollercoaster of sci-fi action high jinks.
Beyond Skyline is available on Digital HD 15th December and DVD & Blu-ray 8th January.
