Fire in the Sky

Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, James Garner, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas
Directed by: Robert Lieberman
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Horror, Science Fiction
Box Office: $
1993

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A logger (D.B. Sweeney) mysteriously disappears one night, and his best friend (Robert Patrick) claims he witnessed him abducted by aliens. As the search for his body comes up empty, the town demands to know the truth.

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed this movie. It is based on a true story, but it is impossible to know how much of this is truly rooted in fact, and how much has been exaggerated. Not that it really matters- this is a truly entertaining movie. Yes, this film is about an alien abduction, but it is so much more than that. The alien "abduction" scenes last only a small faction of the film. Most of the movie is instead focused on the aftermath- how a group of loggers deal with the fallout of claiming that their friend was abducted by aliens. This is what makes the movie incredible. There is something so interesting about watching everyday, normal people dealing with something unexplainable and extraordinary. This is the real meat of the movie.

The film is greatly helped by three performances. D.B. Sweeney is terrific as the abducted logger. I really like him in general, and I thought he did a great job here. Robert Patrick gets the most screen time, and likewise gives an impressive performance. We really see these men grappling with the supernatural, occasionally doubted themselves, through Patrick's eyes. His performance is crucial to this movie. James Garner also adds in a good supporting performance. I didn't think he was as effective as he could have been, but he does a good enough job as the out of town sheriff.

What I really liked about this movie is that it is less about aliens and more about ordinary people dealing with the possibility that aliens exist and they abducted a friend. This is so fascinating. The film sets up the alien abduction scenes beautifully, as there are definitely some very scary and nerveracking moments. However, it wisely makes these stand out by spending most of the time on very normal scenes.

I might have liked this movie even more if the ending hadn't just fizzled out. There are about 10 minutes of high pressure, frightening, shocking scenes, and then, not much of an ending. I was disappointed with the film's conclusion, which really hurt the movie. Still, Fire in the Sky is a great attempt at telling a "realistic" alien abduction story. For that reason, this is well worth watching.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Independence Day, Eight Men Out, The X-Files, The X-Files: Fight the Future