This is a dumb summer popcorn movie, yet it was released after we set the clocks back. That tells you everything you need to know about the quality of “Skyline.”

It’s kind of a sci-fi cliche gumbo. Giant ships are hovering over all the earth’s major cities. Electro-squids and stomp-bots are roving to and fro, hunting humans and stepping on everything. Generically attractive but mentally defective young people assemble a plucky escape plan, and stumble on the aliens’ weak point. You can see where this is going.

There was clearly a lot of love and attention lavished on the aliens. They get a lot of screen time, much more than B-level science fiction movies can usually afford. Every alien has pretty blue hypno-lights reminiscent of angler fish. The stomp-bots (the movie doesn’t call them that, but the moment you see one you’ll know what I’m talking about) are surprisingly awesome, even in close-up. The electro-squids are jacked almost directly from “The Matrix” movies, with one jarring exception. Their mouthparts are distractingly gynecological. These parts also have very pointy side-teeth.
You just try to get that out of your head.

The script sucks so hard that the audience broke out in giggles at a good number of serious lines. An example: a main character says, without a trace of irony, “Whether you like it or not, this is happening.” How do you turn dialogue like that in? Doesn’t Clippy come out and berate you when you type something like that? Our hero grabs an axe to defend himself, after watching the aliens survive a vigorous nuking. If Fat Man and Little Boy have no effect, what use is an axe?

The acting is telenovela quality across the board, and I defy you to care when any of the main characters meet their gory and inevitable death.

Let’s recap. Horrible script, lazy acting and electro-squids with vagina dentata of the face. I didn’t hate it as much as that last sentence may imply, but only because I adore watching aliens kick over skyscrapers. If you’re not such an easy mark for unmotivated CGI mayhem, you should stay far, far away – the film really has nothing else to offer.