Attack the Block - Review

Ever since I saw the trailer for Attack the Block a few months ago I’ve been waiting anxiously to see this film. Being a Londoner myself I have always asked myself the question… What would happen if aliens tried to invade Earth and started in a South London council estate? Well thanks to Joe Cornish (of Adam & Joe fame) I now have my answer.

We start off with our protagonist Sam (the awesome Jodie Whittaker) leaving Oval Underground station on her way home to “The Block” a tower block in South London, on her way home she meets the rest of the films main characters whilst they are at work, by work I mean whilst they mug her. You see, the main characters of this film are ghetto teens, chavs, street rats, hoodlums, hoodies or whatever you choose to call them.

The gang is lead by Moses (played by newcomer John Boyega) a mixed up teen who will act hard in front of his posse at all times. After the gang are attacked by an invading alien life force he takes it upon himself to lead the earth’s defences, which sets up the rest of the movie. These characters aren’t very likeable at the start of the film but their heroism and even their vulnerabilities do something to win you over, we see them learning that actions have consequences. I doubt David Cameron will want to give them a hug and some may find it hard to like them but I was on their side coz’ im frm da streetz init?

The plot is tight and has plenty of good gags (most of which are based around the language used by hoodies and white guys acting like Ali G) the alien invaders are also great, think Critters meets Predator and you have the ultimate alien threat… furry stalkers. The film moves along at a good pace and the 88 minutes go pretty quickly. A lot is made of “The Block” where most of the film takes place. Being from an area of London where tower blocks still remain I can understand the way the building is given an almost legendary, holy status in the film, some other viewers may not see the big deal. There are clichés thrown in but the film does surprise you sometimes. The ending is great; it’s corny but ends with Moses living up to his namesake and the people of South London hurling abuse at their biggest enemy… the Police.

The cast is made up of newcomers mainly, Cornish had to draft in some experience and came up trumps with Nick Frost (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Paul) who plays a drug dealer henchman for the films non-furry bad guy. You don’t see much of Frost but he’s presence gives the film an almost authentic feel, which says a lot about how his career has come along in the last few years and helps establish the film further with his name and image on the poster.

The young members of the cast do a great job playing the lovely gang of hoodies, the banter is great and they also do a great job of reminding you of hanging around with your friends as a child. Their friendship feels real; when they are met with hard times and challenges they pull off the emotions well and the film benefits from their efforts. The squabbles over who has credit left on their mobile phone or who sends the last ditch text message are excellent and well written. Some gags are hindered by weak line delivery and one minute a character may be in horrific pain, the next they are running up the stairs fleeing the aliens without a grimace, that’s me nitpicking.



Jodie Whittaker plays Sam, a very important character as she is the normal person surrounded by a gang of wannabe Tupacs. Her performance is good and she does a good job of interacting with the gang members as they try to win her trust and as she tries to understand the codes and conventions of living in “The Block”.

An honourable mention belongs to Luke Treadaway who plays Brewis, a middle class stoner down on his luck during the alien invasion; he has some great scenes where he tries to be one of the boys and when he is singing along to his iPod waiting for the lift.

The special affects are very good, the aliens are original and look the part, the puppetry is great and you never see the aliens long enough to make out any flaws, this just adds to their mysterious yet relentless ways. Their glowing blue mouths add tension when we are in the darker parts of “The Block” and the best use of SFX are used during a slow motion scene near the end of the film.

The film gets a bit gory in places, some of which comes as a surprise but a welcome one. It gets bloody and it gets messy, these aliens aren’t here for a cuddle (although you do want to…) They are ruthless in their search for our teen heroes and they will rip off your face if you get in their way. It’s this kind of aggression that forces our band of thieves further up “The Block” cornering them and forcing them to fight.

To conclude I must admit that I loved the movie, it is uniquely British. The way the estate is portrayed is well done, it’s urban and it’s gritty. The lighting and use of car headlights works a treat and it’s portrayal of a London council estate is authentic. Not all hoodies and tower block occupants are muggers and they don’t all carry knives and deal drugs, the hoodies in the film are caricatures of those we see on our street corners, with their trousers hanging halfway off their arse and their boxer shorts on display. It’s easy to get laughs off of these guys and the film does a great job of that.

The film could have been funnier but what it lacks in laughs it makes up in action and Sci-Fi delights. Most laughs in my screening were generated by the odd piece of slang that made the viewers remember how they spoke when they were 15 and a “baddaman” which showed good research by Cornish.

It’s the small things that impressed me most, the use of language, fireworks and a Pizza Go-Go delivery moped that nailed home this very well thought-out ode to the youth of London and its old decrepit tower blocks, which still rise and dominate the skies of London.

Joe Cornish has cited influences from films such as Predator, Gremlins and Critters, films he saw growing up in the 80’s, Attack the Block does a great job of taking you back to those film experiences, it's easy to spot other influences in the mix too. To me it felt like a Sci-fi Goonies, with riddles replaced with a non-working lift and the gadgets replaced with baseball bats and fireworks.

The film has all the makings of a cult classic, I fear it won’t be appreciated fully in other countries but its great to hear it has been picked up for US distribution later this year. Hopefully it can do as well as Shaun of the Dead did over the pond.

You better just hope that there is a gang of hoodies near by when the aliens come knocking. Ya’ get me Blud?

8/10

RB

Thor Review

OK, let's get to the point, The Avengers is here next year, we're at the homestretch of origin stories for our keyplayers, how does Marvel's Norse incarnation Thor stack-up against his allies?

After the disappointment that was Iron Man 2, I wasn't particularly bothered by Thor. It wasn't something I grew up with as a kid, it was something I barely had any knowledge of and any comic crossovers involving the hero basically told the same thing; he's mighty, he has a hammer and he's blonde.

To it's and Marvel's credit, I should have had more faith, given Marvel's track record of origin stories, the film is very entertaining. The fish out of water premise is as old as time itself but it works well in the movie.

The story in a nutshell is Thor is banished from Azgard by starting a war with the Frost Giants by his father Odin. He lands on Earth and ran over by Natalie Portman and crew who are chasing strange storms. They think he's crazy, he simply wants to find his Mjolnir (the hammer in the post-credit scene in Iron Man 2) and a shitstorm is taking place in Azgard curtosy of Thor's brother Loki.

A beefy Chris Hemsworth plays the titular character to all degrees. At the beginning, he plays a king in waiting, arrogant, non-caring and wishes to cement a legacy like his father (played by Anthony Hopkins). By the time he defends New Mexico, he's discovered love in the form of Natalie Portman, betrayal, grief, loss and eventually hope.

It's a very tight picture and full credit to director Kenneth Branagh for delivering a film with no filler at all. We constantly travel back and forth to Azgard and New Mexico and constantly are told new advancements in the plot which eventually come together in an explosive third act which wraps the film up in time for it's inevitable sequels and major crossovers.

There are a few problems with the film but to be honest it's nitpicking. The most annoying thing is, as mentioned before, the constant cuts between Azgard and New Mexico. After five minutes of story, we cut back and then we cut back again. This work's fine in something like Lord of the Rings were each action in it's respected region is within the same world, or even The Matrix were despite they're being a real world and a computer world, they're so vastly strange and unique, it's easier to take in. In Thor, it's too distracting at times and you can't help but feel they were perhaps terrified the audience would get bored by staying in one setting for more than a few minutes.

Although Thor himself is a well developed character, when you look at the maths at it all, he's pledge to save the Earth takes place in the space of two days. You could argue and say he's a god, it's what he's supposed to do and it gives the film escalation, but it just happens far quickly. Same with Loki's inevitable uprising, which takes place in the same amount of time.

Finally, the 3D isn't too fantastic and there were occasions where the film looked like a pop-up book. You don't lose anything from watching the film in standard 2D and if anything, the experience is fortified by not being constantly distracted how certain things stick out (Thor's cape being the major one).

Of course, this it nitpicking in an otherwise highly recommended debut for those who want to know more on the principal players of next year's biggest competitor to The Dark Knight Returns.

It ranks up there with the original Iron Man (which is all the more impressive considering Thor doesn't have Downey Jr. to fall back on) but, like Iron Man, just falls short of Batman Begins and Spider-Man. The settings, whilst cutaway far too many times are distinctive and Azgard and the Frost Giant's realm look especially fantastic. It has a very believable and likeable cast, great action sequences and brings new life to an old tale of Earth's "mightiest hero".

Comic book fans will love it, but if you're someone who's came by this nerdy blog and doesn't care for references to the Hulk or the odd Stan Lee cameo, it's a very good popcorn flick.

7/10

H