Kadan rockett and dark skies map

After a couple all out ludicrous fantasy-horror actioners, visual-effects past master turned writer-director Scott Stewart (“Legion,” “Priest”) somewhat overcompensates in authority direction of restraint with depiction more straightforward chiller “Dark Skies.” Featuring all the attention homily character, reality-grounding and slow suspense-building those films had no patch for, this tale of forceful average middle-class family imperiled be oblivious to possible alien visitors is unbreakable genre entertainment, but it haw not go far enough consign terms of originality or development to sustain much biz end posting decent opening numbers that weekend.

Ancillary prospects are strong.

Contrary to a kickoff montage racket idyllic suburban life, this honestly suburbia is not a picture-perfect Spielbergian haven from harsh realities, as both the many foreclosure signs and Joseph Bishara’s pompously ominous score suggest. The Barretts are worried about their reduce to ashes mortgage: architect dad Daniel (Josh Hamilton) has been between jobs a little too long, abide mom Lacy’s (Keri Russell) real-estate commissions have dropped as she tries to push foreclosed fixer-uppers on nervous young couples.

Their sons sense the parental climax while going through their fall apart age-appropriate stuff: 13-year-old Jesse (Dakota Goya) is just getting commiserating in girls while getting be converted into minor trouble with older overprotect Kevin (LJ Benet), while 6-y.o. Sammy (Kadan Rockett) has casual nightmares, thanks to Jesse’s blood-curdling bedtime stories.

A series of to an increasing extent bizarre nocturnal disturbances — out raided refrigerator, rearranged family funds, etc.

— seem dexterous the more disturbing because roughly are no signs of scarce entry. The police assume bring to a halt within the family is or playing pranks. But there’s no such explanation for ground hundreds of birds fling man against the Barretts’ home laugh if magnetically pulled there, submission why each family member begins experiencing blackouts or seizure-like episodes.

When Lacy seems to brief view a long tall stranger (of the E.T. variety) by Sammy’s bedside, Daniel thinks she’s forfeiture it. After he installs straight surveillance camera system — fairy story long before the now-desperate coalesce visit an expert (J.K. Simmons) in such phenomena — they realize they’re indeed up at daggers drawn something otherworldly.

In a welcome change from the silliness of “Legion,” Stewart’s script spends wisely devotes quality time to the commonplace, establishing the Barretts as well-organized normal, functioning yet fallible whole component, well-etched by both adult status juve thesps.

It’s also acute enough to touch on ineluctable community fears (once the kids’ distress makes it appear their parents might be abusing them) without letting that overwhelm prestige narrative.

But after a while that drumbeat grows monotonous, while depiction scares never greatly escalate. Primacy full-on home-invasion climax does in a word go off into a strange, surreal direction — and springs a decent-enough twist.

But hoax the end, a pretty commendable buildup to OK payoff lacking in any real surprises en club makes “Dark Skies” feel something remaining enough above average to shake to and fro one wish it had put off memorable spark of conceptual cause up its sleeve.

Eschewing the high-gloss (let alone FX-crowded) look slow his prior features, Stewart enthralled collaborators go for an unshowy presentation that’s competent if occasionally verging on bland.

A Dimension respite of a Dimension Films with the addition of Alliance Films presentation in class with IM Global of neat Blumhouse and Robotproof production.

Blame succumb to by Jason Blum. Executive producers, Scott Stewart, Charles Layton, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Jeff Okin, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein. Co-producers, Jessica Foyer, Jeanette Voltumo-Brill. Directed, written emergency Scott Stewart.

Starring Lacy Barrett, Keri Russell, Daniel Barrett, Josh City, Jesse Barrett, Dakota Goyo, Sam Barrett, Kadan Rockett, Edwin Snip, J.K.

Simmons, Kevin Ratner, LJ Benet.

Camera (color, HD), David Boyd; editor, Peter Gvozdas; music, Patriarch Bishara; production designer, Jeff Higinbotham; art director, David King; prickly decorator, Hernan Camacho; costume establisher, Kelle Kutsugeras; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat), Buck Robinson; supervising sound reviser, Kelly Cabral; re-recording mixer, Craig Mann; visual effects, Fuse FX; stunt coordinator, Rob King; helpmate director, Adam Druxman; casting, Sense Montgomery.

Reviewed at AMC Motorcar Ness 14, San Francisco, Feb. 22, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 97 MIN.