ATTACK THE BLOCK DVD (2011)

SYNOPSIS: From the producer of SHAUN OF THE DEAD and SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD comes ATTACK THE BLOCK is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing estate into a sci-fi playground. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And teenage street kids into heroes. It's inner city versus outer space.

MOVIE REVIEW:

You can’t deny a good script or directing by its limited budget and that implies to the Brit, sci-fi comedy, “Attack the Block”.

Written by a radio comedian and first-time director Joe Cornish (who also co-written “The Adventures of Tintin” with Edgar Wright), the premise has a group of teenage hoodlums battling strange aliens in a typical housing neighborhood. The story begins with a nurse named Sam being mugged by the street gang led by Moses and his followers, Pest, Jerome, Dennis and Biggz. But before the ordeal ends, a strange ball of light crash-landed on a car. In an attempt to salvage some valuables out of it, Moses got himself scratched by a strange creature. The group gave chase and killed the small weird-looking creature. Before long, more balls of light began to fall from the sky and the teenagers find themselves in pursuit by lethal gorillas-like monsters.

“Attack the Block” moves with such aggressive energy and thrills that it’s hard to take your eyes off the screen. It could be the cast members who are mainly unknowns and did I mention the fact that they are very young. Utilizing fireworks, bikes and baseball bats, there is enough action, chase sequences to keep things going. The constraint budget means Cornish and his production team has to sacrifice on the CG and practical effects. Though at some points, the aliens look pretty much unpolished with its luminous teeth and dark fur, Cornish and his cinematographer still manages to make good use of the lighting and the darkened atmosphere to achieve the effect.  

There’s a bit of dark humor thrown in for good measures if you can get pass the heavy British slang and the rotund Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) appears as a weed seller, unfortunately I don’t really see his comedic talents in this one except appearing totally stoney for the whole time. There’s a subplot involving an ultra-potty mouth, gangsta drug dealer that is redundant and distraction to the main action in some ways. The heroes crafted by Cornish are not exactly likeable in the beginning; imagine street thugs that mobbed innocent people yet he manages to let his characters win us over in the end with his witty script.

Moving swiftly at 88 minutes and combining thrills, a little gore and a little social commentary, Cornish’s debut caught us all by surprise. This is a little gem that deserves the praise and the attention. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

It looks and sound okay on a small TV setup.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee