Let's face it alien movies suck. Too often films about extra
terrestrial beings are formulaic and, at best, merit a spot on the Syfy
channel. From ET to Mac and even Stitch, aliens have generally appeared less than threatening in
their big screen adventures. But Joe
Cornish's Attack the Block takes that
notion and turns it on its head.
The
foreign invaders here are absolutely terrifying with their pitch-black fur and
fluorescent fangs. They terrorize a small south London block where its only
defenders are a gang of teens with samurai swords and bottle rockets in hand. Attack the Block is great with all its
British quirks and is equal parts Hot
Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and Gremlins. You can see the influence
executive producer Edgar Wright has on the film as it plays like a two hour
long episode of his critically acclaimed show, "˜Spaced'.
What makes Attack the Block different is that the aliens are almost the
sideshow to the relationships between the members of the gang. The social commentary as to the
treatment of London youth is also a nice touch that compliments the film
perfectly.
One aspect of the film that could
have been altered was the use of Nick Frost. Always able to showcase a unique sense of comedic timing
Frost went underused during the entire feature.
Hopefully Attack the Block is able to garner recognition for its impressive
story and direction. Who knows, it
may someday join Close Encounters of the
Third Kind and Alien in the untouchable
league of great alien movies.
