Making good use of my Cineworld card (consistently good value filmgoers) i headed along to watch Joe Cornish's feature film debut: Attack The Block. I'd been waiting patiently for its release after reading about it on Twitter and having been a fan of The Adam & Joe show i was sure it would be an entertaining watch at least.
Attack The Block is a comedy laced sci-fi/horror centred around a gang of "youfs" from "saffff lahndahn" who, fresh from mugging a young female nurse called Sam (Jodie Whittaker), deal with an impromptu alien invasion that takes place during bonfire night in a council estate. After they beat to death a small alien they incur the wrath of its larger, nastier alien friends resulting in a game of cat and mouse between the gang, led by the moody and misunderstood Moses (John Boyega), armed Police, the aforementioned aliens and a local drug-lord. As a result the bodycount on all sides is considerable and there are a few good explosions and chase scenes (on scooters, bmx's and a paddy wagon).
Right from the start Attack The Block doesn't take itself too seriously and despite a modest budget it doesn't suffer from looking like a low budget film. The aliens themselves, while not necessarily reaching the heights of the aliens in Aliens and Alien 3, are certainly no worse than the shaved gorilla suit in the vent scene in Alien and the glow in the dark teeth and eyes are a nice addition. Any crashes, explosions or injuries are, for the most part blessed with a decent level of realism and are not regularly exposed by the constraints of the films budget.
The characters are the usual rag-tag cliches associated with films within this genre. We have the misunderstood hero, the shrewish woman who grows a pair and rises to the challenge set out in front of her, the wise-cracking yet loveable vagabond and the often criminally underused comic relief. These types of characters are obviously here as an homage to the characters in the films that helped shape Attack The Block and they lend an air of familiarity to the film that gives it an endearing quality. The only downside to this type of characterisation is that it often lacks an element of depth and gives way to a breed of one-dimensionalism. However, given the age of the main cast, there are performances of note throughout Attack The Block that raise it just above that bar and as it doesn't suffer as a result. The performance of the film, for me, goes to Alex Esmail (Pest) who comes across as a junior Han Solo with his cheeky dialogue and gung-ho bravado.
The score, by Basement Jaxx and Steven Price, is understated but pulses along nicely within the film itself bringing tension or subtlety as required.
Ok, so Attack The Block isn't going to be representing the British Film Industry at the glitzy Hollywood award ceremonies but it certainly punches above its weight and performs admirably throughout in the entertainment stakes. Whilst it doesn't exactly hit the heights of Shaun of the Dead it certainly stands well next to other UK films like Dog Soldiers and is considerably better than the likes of Severance. There are ample laughs and jumps alike and as a debut film it certainly acts as an interesting stepping stone for what is sure to be an enjoyable career for Joe Cornish.
7/10
Stay Epic
Buddy
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