The Film
Rough and tumble teens from an inner city neighborhood in South London encounter an alien invasion in Attack the Block. The gang, which calls itself BLOCK, is out on the streets for just another night in the neighborhood when a mugging they're pulling off gets interrupted by an alien that drops in, literally. Suddenly the gang goes into protection mode to go after, and kill, the threat to the 'hood.
Hoodlums quickly turn into vigilantes armed with bats, samurai swords, fireworks and any other implements they can quickly grab from their homes to go after the herd of aliens that drop from the sky. Genres collide in Attack the Block, which has elements of science fiction, horror and comedy with definitive moments of camp all blended together into the 88 minute feature film.
Newcomer writer/director Joe Cornish cast Shaun of the Dead favorite Nick Frost amongst a number of "street cast" actors fresh to the screen. The making-of feature explains that Cornish and Shaun of the Dead producer Edgar Wright wanted actors that fit into the part and not just "act" the part. If not convincing, the ensemble is generally entertaining.
Read another frightful impression of Attack the Block from David Kempler.
The Picture
Attack's fuzzy aliens are more a cross between a hyena and an ape than the typical green man, and have luminous chompers that make them intimidating. In the film the aliens are a mix of live action and CGI, with a bit of green screen work and shots where the actors hung from cables to perform stunts. Both the live action and CGI sequences were fairly seamless and consistently convincing.
The film takes place in one frantic night where the action switches between outside shots around the gang's low-income apartment building and internal shots in the building. The low budget film has a hazy or light grainy quality in this 2.40:1 transfer, with internal shots often overcast with a yellow tinge of the lighting you'd typically find in projects and low income buildings. This often comes at the expense of realistic skin tones and true colors.
The Sound
Explosive action, plus an enjoyable musical score fill the movie out. This is a case where sheer decibel level wins out over some of the subtleties of the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. In some cases the sound didn't necessarily travel from one side of the sound field to the other as the action warranted.
It's also in Attack the Block that realism wins over some of the dialogue as slang flies from the teenage gang members that's difficult to keep up with. The nuances cue you into the fast-paced dialogue, but rob you of some of the fun of learning the South London street slang.
The Extras
Bonus materials are almost a bit too long and plentiful. The 88-minute film gets a behind-the-scenes feature that's almost as long as the movie. The street cast actors get plenty of time to show their more lighthearted side after playing the tough street kids. So much explanation and demonstration goes into the extras from casting, working with the actors, filming the aliens and discussion on what scenes didn't make it in front of the camera. It really adds to the film and shows you what went into the making. Writer/director Joe Cornish shows his own brand of humor when he shares his fear that labor and health organizations will come after him after he pushed one of the actors to do numerous takes, who then subsequently came down with viral tonsillitis from screaming in the dank underground garage.
Final Thoughts
A fun but disposable film is enhanced with extras to make the Blu-ray a nice complement to your collection. The October 25 release has the film arrive just in time for a good horror fest.
Product Details
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