Attack the Block

Director: Joe Cornish
Cast: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Nick Frost
Releasing in cinemas: 1 December  2011
Rated: MA 15+

Attack the Block is a lampoon sci-fi thriller so tongue-in-cheek, debut director Joe Cornish may have bitten it off.  Cornish, in keeping with the film's exec producer Edgar Wright (who directed Shaun of the Dead) manages to parody a well worn genre while giving it startling new life. His modestly budgeted excursion into Mars Attacks! territory is slick, inventive, happy mayhem full of shudders and nervous laughs.

An alien critter falls into a gang of young South London council estate hoodies, engaged in robbing pretty trainee nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) at knife point. Distracted by this interruption, they pursue the rather small alien and kill it. They then bring it back to the estate as a trophy, and storing it in a high security marijuana production room at the top of the building.

Unfortunately for them the creature is a female of the species, and a multitude of large and ferocious males quickly land in the area to seek her. Sam, having escaped the hoodies in all the confusion, joins the police to hunt for them and recover her property.

Meantime the gang confident they can sort out the aliens, since they already killed one. They grab suitable weapons, swords, guns, fireworks, leap on bikes and mopeds and tear off to defend their turf. They're not prepared to find the latest invasion are larger, more powerful and scary predators from outer space. So the bunch of teenage hoodlums become the good guys, trying to protect their grungy council estate, and also Sam, from the onslaught of the enraged ET nightmares. The battle for the block has commenced, with the young hoodlums becoming heroes.

Clever twist in the plot, this change of wannabe gangsters to teenage Goonies. It's up to the boys on their own to prove their worth, not just be social outcasts. With little assistance from authorities they try to save their territory and maybe the world. Even the set-upon nurse reluctantly joins forces with them. There are lots of high speed chases, running up and down steps and cramming into elevators. The amusing conceit to have the aliens depicted in true cartoon form as black hairy masses with fluorescent blue snapping teeth works surprisingly well. 

John Boyega (Da Brick TV) as Moses, the leader of the pack, gives a notable performance as the young tearaway proud and scared in equal measure. He earns the admiration of his rag tag followers. Jodie Whittaker (St. Trinians II) has tense moments as the threatened nurse, first by the hoodies, then after changing partners by the monsters. Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) makes a welcome minor appearance. The other members of the gang all contribute to the many thrills and spills.

Attack the Block was written as well as directed by British comedian Joe Cornish, with a good supply of pithy lines. One young member of the gang asks if the aliens weren't sent to kill black boys “because we ain't killing each other fast enough”. Cornish and his producer Edgar Wright contributed to the script of Spielberg's The Adventures of Tin Tin, so they have suitable credentials.

Despite a limited budget, the special effects and cinematography are worthy of the venture and don't pale beside other essays into alien invasions. Even the obviously digitally drawn creatures, those leaping toothy black shag carpets are happily acceptable in context.

As Sir Robert Menzies might have said “It's mainly nonsense”. Yes, but also a lot of fun. Shaun of the Dead fans should book tickets. 

John Bale