Attack The Block

Alien invasion films are nothing new. They have been around since the black and white days of Cinema with films classics such as War of the Worlds (1953) and The Day the Earth stood still (1951). So how does a new film from this genre set its' self apart?

Plot: A gang of teens try to defend their neighborhood block ( hey a title!)  from  alien invasion. The teens are a rather unsavory group who rob, steal and attack others. In the middle of a robbery  a strange object crashes through a car and begins to attack them. They respond by chasing it down cornering and killing it. This starts an invasion of a alien race that threatens them and their way of life.

Review: Okay so from that description you would probably say the heroes of this film sound utterly repulsive. They are not a nice group to root for at the beginning. Then why are they the heroes of this film? Why should we root for, or care for these characters? That's why the writer/director (Joe Cornish) you has done something really great. He makes you care for these really unlikeable characters. You start rooting for these characters,even though at the beginning you couldn't stand them.

This movie shifts from horror to humor near perfectly. There are some really comedic moments that aren't forced. They feel really natural and help lighten the mood of a film that is very dark  with some dire circumstances. The horror within this film is legitimately quite frightening and suspenseful.

Another huge plus for this film is the creature design. The design is easily one of the most memorable and frightening designs in years. Its truly a unique and frightening design. If you haven't seen the look of these aliens check them out- their blue glowing teeth look really awesome.

Is there anything I can say bad about this film? Not a lot honestly, it does have the dislike of the characters near the beginning. And are a few characters that turn out still being a little bit too grating personality wise. The main culprit of the flaw of the film is the antagonist (outside the alien)  He is truly very annoying. He doesn't kill the film because he has a total of 3 scenes and the way they deal with him is really great. The only flaw we see outside of him is the pacing can be a bit off.


RECOMMENDED? Yes
I do recommend this film, it most likely won't be a film for everyone. Mainly because of the main characters, some people won't be able to shake that original impression of them.