The following is a review of ‘Attack the Block’, a Joe Cornish film.
I am going to level with you here: Yes, the only reason why I went back and watched this film was because of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. John Boyega, one of the new stars of said Star Wars-film, had his feature film debut in 2011’s Attack the Block, and went on to win the Black Reel Award for ‘Best Actor’ for his performance in the film. I am so happy that I watched this film. It is so damn entertaining.
Attack the Block follows a young gang leader named Moses (played by John Boyega) and the rest of his street gang in South London who, while mugging a nurse (played by Jodie Whittaker), witness a localized alien invasion. As the struggle is coming to an end, the gang is stopped in their tracks when they encounter an actual alien. The gang decides to fight back the oncoming invasion and defend their neighborhood.
This is one of the most enjoyable science fiction action-comedies I’ve ever seen. It isn’t the prettiest film ever made, and the effects will definitely not blow you away, but the fish-out-of-water element is put to use perfectly in this film. Attack the Block is inviting from the outset, because the film does make use of somewhat of a comedic culture clash between Jodie Whittaker’s character and the gang.
The action in Attack the Block also really works, even if the various action scenes are very different from each other. The genuine action scenes are good, and the humorous action scenes are great. But I did have a problem with the film going for horror elements that I thought didn’t work that well within the story. With that having been said, this film does feel like an Edgar Wright-film from time to time, which isn’t that odd seeing as he did produce it – and went on to work with the writer-director on Ant-Man‘s story.
This is a must-watch for fans of Men in Black and Edgar Wright’s Cornetto-films. Also, I would definitely recommend this film to any Star Wars-fan wanting to see more of John Boyega. Speaking of Boyega, he definitely gives the best performance in the film. He owns every scene that he is in, and you buy him as not just a leader, but a fresh fish-out-of-water action star. You definitely see what you imagine Lucasfilm and Disney have seen in him.
Final Score: 8 out of 10 – I have no idea why this film was never on my radar, it is most definitely going to be a cult classic.
I’m Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 