Ready for a Fearless Flick? Check Out ‘Attack the Block’ (Review)

Written by: Matt Molgaard

Directed by: Joe Cornish

Cast: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail

What could possibly be more entertaining than a group of man hungry aliens attacking the rugged South London streets and all the thuggish teens who inhabit “The Block”? Not Much, really. Attack the Block is an invasion flick, as you may have just guessed, but this is not your typical invasion flick. This is an invasion movie delivered from the celluloid heavens!

In a single sentence I’ve already managed to divulge the general idea behind the film. It’s a case of young thugs versus aliens. What prompts the war is the slaughtering of a female alien that randomly lands in London. After lead bad ass, Moses (John Boyega) kills the creature, a slew of male aliens kick into tracking mode, following the dead beast’s emitted pheromones, hunting Moses and his crew of roughnecks with the idea of revenge on their alien minds.

The action is extremely fast paced, there are some wonderfully gory sequences (though they’re delivered at a very controlled rate; don’t expect buckets of blood at every turn), the characters are not only hilarious, but memorable and generally endearing. The underlying comedy within the picture is just fabulous, and the only real complaint I have falls on the pic’s dialogue, which is occasionally difficult to understand. It can be tough enough deciphering accents, deciphering accents ornamented by Ebonics makes for a whole new challenge.

The cast is absolutely fantastic. We’re dealing with a group of youngsters (are any of these kids, other than perhaps Moses, over the age of 18?) who carry an explosive, heavily textured film on their shoulders as though they were born for it. I cannot stress enough how impressive John Boyega (who looks like he could be related to both Mike Tyson and Paul Daley) is. This kid is menacing, ruthless, intelligent and compassionate – somehow – simultaneously! It’s easy to cheer for this dude, as he’s completely savage… but oh so loveable! And just to think, he’s got a load of stellar support!

This is one wily movie, and I could highlight a solid 10 scenes that stand as examples of excellent cinema. But I’ll let you soak it up. It’s scintillating and definitely deserves all the praise it’s garnered. Attack the Block is a completely fearless film. Watch it, ASAP

Rating: 4.5/5