Review of Attack the Block (2011) by James S — 03 Jan 2015

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, and Nick Frost.

Directed By: Joe Cornish.

Rated: R.

A group of inner city London teens defend their apartment building against an alien attack.

I've been wanting to see this movie since watching the trailer a while back. Usually a "from the producers of..." credit doesn't get me interested. However the combination of the producers of Shaun of the Dead, Nick Frost in the cast, and a really cool premise got my attention. I was looking forward to a movie that could make you laugh in one scene and a split second later, cause you to jump out of your seat. I managed to find it on DVD a few months ago and finally got around to watching it. Although not as goofy as Shaun of the Dead and not overly scary, I still had a good time.

The cast is really great and full of promising up and comers. I was a little worried the characters were going to be unlikable or annoying (like the kids in Super 8) because the first scene they are introduced in doesn't paint them in a very good light. They grew on me however. The main kids all did a good job, and like I said, I look forward to seeing them in future projects. The adult actors were also good. Luke Treadaway as the poor guy stuck on the wrong block was a fun character and Nick Frost has a little role that is pretty much a cameo to get Edgar Wright fans to see the movie (it worked on me).

I loved the design of the creatures. They are wonderfully simple, and even when you start to see more of them, they remain creepy and cool. Honestly, they may be one of my favorite movie monsters and are far more memorable then some aliens from recent films (like Battle: L.A.). The movie even managed to make me jump a few times. I enjoyed this movie, it's fun, creepy, and a good late night popcorn flick. The only problem I think some people might have is trouble understanding the somewhat strong accents and slang. I understood them fine and if you can too then I think you will have a fun time. Anyone who likes their horror movies with a little humor mixed in will want to give this one a try. It's not perfect, but worth a rental.

6 Reels out of 10.

"Hurry up guys, we gotta catch 'em all!".

"Calm down Biggz, this ain't Pokemon!".