[Snake45]

Anyone else watch this?

So far, it looked like a dozen things I've seen before, including V, War of the Worlds, Walking Dead, Predator, Battlestar Galactica, Independence Day, Omega Man, Jericho, etc. etc. etc....

Should be called Derivative Skies. I'll stick around a few weeks and see if they come up with any sort of new twist. :?

 

[Guest]

I cannot imagine a science fiction tale about alien invaders that doesn't share plot elements with War of the Worlds. Such is the durability of the 1898 novel by H.G. Wells. It seems likely that stories about time machines or invisible men will have elements in common with H.G. Wells other stories. H.G. Wells is to Science Fiction what William Shakespeare is to English Literature. Consider the vast number of modern stories that can be traced back to the works of Shakespeare.

 

[TommyGunn]

I taped the show and watched the tape early in the week.
It was an intriging but shaky opening. I didn't really need the thug/gang leader who kidnapped the group that was supposed to check out the armory.
The kid going after the dog, no matter how "understandable" was not bright.
The devices used to control the kids was scary, but derivitive of Heinleins' The Puppet Masters a bit too much. Mind control is a much used SF staple though.

Just saw the DVD of "Skyline," which I thought was a pretty decent twist on the theme.
"Battlefield Los Angelos" was another I thought was a decent take, lacking only in that it didn't have John Wayne.

As for "Skyline," we'll have to see how it goes. I'm not going to scratch it because it's premier was less than stellar but it has to get its act together.
Hopefully TNT will give it a fair shake.
I liked the latest iteration of "V" and I was annoyed when ABC canned it right on a cliff-hanger. :twisted: :twisted: :evil: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :cluebat: :cluebat:

 

[DArbeit]

I watched it and was "underwhelmed". There were lots of great guns. On another forum, someone called it 'gun porn'! There should have been more 'sporting arms' mixed in though. One of the characters stated that they got their weapons from the "National Guard". Then where did the AK-47 Wyle's character carried come from? RPGs are also mentioned. The NG would have been first in the fight and most of those weapons would have been lost. The guy with the M240 goes in the armory instead of pulling overwatch/support from the outside? During the captive scenes, the gal with the bandits tells how the gang got her '5 months ago' and 'used' her before she kills the two BGs. She should be about 4-5 months pregnant then.

Main character, after 6 months of resisting the aliens, still hasn't learned how to use his weapon. Goes full auto at point blank range and misses.

It is a lot like Jericho in that they have lots of guns and don't use them right. Maybe Wyle's character will be like Jake in Jericho and contribute greatly to the disarmament of the resistance fighters? :lol:

I, too will continue to watch it in the hopes it improves. I am guessing that they will eventually(if the series lasts) find out that the humans with the parasites on their back's evolve into the six-legged aliens that the humans have been killing. That will set up the ultimate "conflict" that Hollywood writers like so much. That is why I liked "Battle of Los Angeles" so much. It was a real simple plot: Bad guys land and start killing people and the Good Guys counterattack and kill aliens. It is simple, with no conflicts.

 

[TommyGunn]

As for "Skyline," we'll have to see how it goes.

Meant "Falling Skies" here, obviously. D'uhhhhh

 

[DArbeit]

Watched tonight's episode. I was more than 'underwhelmed' this time. It was slow not only in the action but the "emotion" scenes. The hostage snatch team went in without any weapons more than personnal arms. Yes, they rigged an explosive that took out one of the 'mechs' but they knew from their scout that there were at least two more. Why did the aliens let the one human go? Prisoner exchange? I am sure the writers have some complex plot in mind.

The previews for next episode appear to show some twists.

So far Wyle's character is fulfilling my guess that he will progressively disarm the resistance

As usual, Hollywood considers one magazine to be an acceptable 'combat load' for any weapon. He took the shotgun and no spare shells too. In the first episode, Wyle and most the others were carrying sidearms but in this episode nobody seemed to have any.

Oh well, I suppose it can't get much worse! :roll:

 

[Snake45]

Yeah, the second episode was lame/underwhelming.

 

[TommyGunn]

Watched tonight's episode. I was more than 'underwhelmed' this time. .....
So far Wyle's character is fulfilling my guess that he will progressively disarm the resistance

As usual, Hollywood considers one magazine to be an acceptable 'combat load' for any weapon. He took the shotgun and no spare shells too. In the first episode, Wyle and most the others were carrying sidearms but in this episode nobody seemed to have any.

Oh well, I suppose it can't get much worse! :roll:

Because he wound up with a double barrel shottie?? He turned it in, trading it in for a semiauto. I forget how he wound up with it, but I think he became rather aware of its shortcomings .....
I don't see him disarming anyone from that ..... if that's what you meant.

This 2nd episode was, IMHO, neither better or worse than the original. We learn a little more about those strange "harnesses" used on the kids, and that they can be dealt with. The previews for the ext episode suggest that there may be unintended consequences for that ... will have to wait and see what happens.

Unless the series improves, I see a big pink slip in it's future, though .... :cluebat:

 

[gobetween]

Should be called Derivative Skies.

Although shorter in height, the critters look remarkably similar to those in District 9.

 

[Javlin]

While I am always intrigued by these plots the writing and acting esp.seems flat to me atleast.It seems the Spielberg name was suppose to be the big draw for only one episode.

 

[DArbeit]

Continuity

July 3rd episode:

Again the main "fighters" are carrying sidearms. In the second episode where they rescued one 'harnessed' child, no one was carrying a sidearm even though they had been in the first/premier episode. When they rush to get in/on the pickup, the two fighters have slung long arms. In the next scene, they are in the tunnel and the truck driver says he 'had to leave the weapons in the truck'. This is highly inconsistant. Why would they have unslung their primary weapons? This is a case of lazy writers not wanting to write a scene with reasonable actions.

My statement about the Tom character (Wyle's) losing weapons should not be taken too literally. I was aluding to the character Jake in "Jericho" and how he seemed to end up losing weapons often. First Tom's group gets captured and are disarmed(they get them back plus some). Then in the child rescue, his group magically loses their longarms and can't retrieve them. I don't literally mean Tom will lose weapons. Hollywood writers seem to think it necessary for the 'good guys' to consistantly get captured/disarmed for the sake of 'drama'. Since this series will revolve around Tom and his group, they will lose weapons regularly so the writers can create 'drama'.

In some ways this series seems to be following the pattern set by the MGM series "Combat" which centered around patrol actions with few 'large' battles.

 

[Javlin]

Now I see what you mean DArbeit never really notice probably from a lax attention span but yeah losing your weapon in real life would not just happen;not easily atleast.

 

[Snake45]

Hollywood writers seem to think it necessary for the 'good guys' to consistantly get captured/disarmed for the sake of 'drama'.

A decade or so ago, I taped and watched all the old Man from UNCLE series. And that was exactly the plot of just about every single episode.

In Episode 3, why was the black kid carrying/wearing belted MG ammo? Did anyone in the raiding party have a belt-fed weapon? I didn't see one. The black kid himself was carrying an Uzi or Mini-Uzi.

 

[DArbeit]

Belted ammo

I noticed that too. To answer it in a "Hollywood" way, that is part of his 'costume' and no one has been told to change it.

In reality, there is not reason. In the first episode, the two black fighters were carrying belted ammo and were also carrying a M240/FN-MAG. In none of the previous episodes did they 'lose' the M240 so the belt should have been left with the MG, probably back at base.

I realize that the actors have been equipped from a prop house/armorer but someone should have been thinking about what weapons would be available in Boston, MA after the invasion. I wouldn't think there would be many/any UZIs (not US issue, maybe PD?), the MP-5 is common to SWAT, M4s/M16s would be around in both civilian form and military salvage. A select-fire AK-47 is not common 'issue'. In the first episode, a statement is made that they 'got their weapons from the Natl Guard'. OK, how many AK-47s, Uzis and MP-5s does the Guard have?

There is no mention of civilian weapons as a source. The handguns certainly don't look issue so logically they were found from a civil source. I haven't seen one sporting rifle or modified sporting shotgun except for the cut-down dbl. bbl. shotgun.

There are lots of questions regarding the technical details of this show.

 

[Snake45]

There are lots of questions regarding the technical details of this show.

Here's another one:

I believe in the first episode they said that EMPs had fried all modern electronics, which explains why they only use old ('60s, etc.) cars and trucks. But this week they got motorcycles from a new dealer showroom. I don't know anything about motorcycles, but don't new ones use any modern electronics in starting or ignition, etc.? They're all still strictly old-school, electrically?

 

[WaltGraham]

While I've noted most of the aforementioned technical \ tactical issues with FS, I'll stick with it for a spell because I'm a sci fi fan, and there's precious little of that on the tube. I watch it with my lovely wife who's got a medical background and we critique the actions of the players from our respective perspectives.

It would seem that a 12g pump or auto is a good solution for the skitters and a wheeled vehicle of any heft should be able to put a mech on the ground.
I'm not sure how easily or quickly they could regain their "feet"; I'm recalling the "Walkers" from Star Wars.

Re Battle: Los Angeles - I liked it, but noted with some amusement the 7.62 X 39 rounds the Marines were copping at the end of the movie before they headed back to the fight...

 

[Snake45]

Episode Four (hour five): Still underwhelming. I think they're losing me.

 

[TommyGunn]

I thought it was OK.
But I remain unconvinced that there's anything really novel about this show.:duh: I give kudos for good special effects.
I still wonder how the militia came across so many AKs if they were obtained from armories.
Alien invasion topics are not new though. It has to be hard to come up with a "new" angle on a theme as old as H. G. Wells.

 

[Luigi]

Well I like it. Dont have to use my old brain to think about multiple plots..just shoot'em'ups with guns. I think I need to support anything with guns or end up watching the newest reality show....overweight lawyers trying to get a date with Donald Trumps daughter....

 

[DArbeit]

July 10th-great episode

I really liked this episode. Possibly because all the technical issues have been addressed, I didn't let them distract me. I did notice the one guy continues to carry a belt of 7.62mm across his chest while carrying what looks like an Uzi.

In this episode I finally saw some emotion and action from a character and it wasn't one of the "fighters". After the guy doctor dies, the gal doctor 'steps up'. The play and acting in the scene where she demos the "silent kill" was awesome! It was probably the best written/acted/directed scene so far.:thumbsup:

The rest was OK. The 'rescue' mission was done fairly well although the "kill" certainly wasn't "silent". The aliens certainly need to get better sensor systems on their "mechs".