Attack the Block

S.M.B. · 12-05-2011 12:12am #1

Surprised there's no thread for this already giving the buzz that's been surrounding it. Or maybe there is? Oh well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0gm7dHKKc

Bizarre mix of horror/comedy/kids film with a few ballsy decisions made along the way.

Well played Joe Cornish.

constitutionus · 12-05-2011 12:32am

went to see this today.

its being marketed abit misleadingly.

its not as much as a comedy as the trailers make out . there ARE funny bits in it dont get me wrong but its FAR more of a straight forward SCI/FI action horror flick.

about my biggest complaint with it is the heavy use of urban slang which is impenetable in places but its mainly at the begining of the film and once it takes off it becomes a really good little action flick

its certainly not a hollywood film as the introduction to the gang is something that wouldnt get past a test audience in the states and does leave you wondering if you really like these guys at all but its VERY well acted by a group that ive never heard of before this and the characrters are developed well.

i havent a clue how much was spent on it but it looks great on the screen and the aliens themselves are a nasty bit of work who's physiology also means the FX crew can save a few bob. the thing is though it WORKS making them far more fun to see in action.

i reckon there'll be a PC set of critics that will be pissed off at this film for "glorifying"

a buchs of thugs and drug dealers

but TBH the films about real people in that estate and its not full of trinity heads so they should just deal with it.

all in all i like it.

and its got one of the best closing acts in terms of action/drama that ive seen in YEARS.

it certainly feesl like a SMALL film ala "dog soldiers" , but it knows its not an epic and uses that to its best advantage.

woth seeing if your a fan of the ol 80s sci/fi films as it evokes alot of the tone from them .

S.M.B. · 12-05-2011 9:40am

RopeDrink wrote: »

Regarding " heavy use of urban slang ", given I spent half my life in London, that certainly won't phase me at all

I watched it in the cinema just down the road from where it's set for the authentic South London experience.

The "slang" would be fine for an Irish audience I'd imagine. Just expect to hear "bruv" and "innit" about 1000 times each during the 90 minutes.

ztoical · 12-05-2011 10:29am

Went to see this yesterday [also in South London] and thought it was crap. Ignoring the over use of slang, it's a very muddy story badly told. Couple of nice set pieces but alot more wasted ones.

Thought it was interesting that while it's trying to show inner city london and all the minorities

of the main cast the 4 white characters all live

.

bonerm · 12-05-2011 12:02pm

One one hand it's directed by Joe Cornish, on the other hand the principles seem to be Londone Yuufs Innit, which I refuse to sit in a cinema listening to for 90mins.

Might pick it up later. Sorry Joe. Love you BYYYEEE!

blaa85 · 12-05-2011 12:27pm

It's not listed for Waterford cinema, was looking forward to seeing it.

Phony Scott · 12-05-2011 3:04pm

Seems like a different spin on the usual. I might check it out and Nick Frost is always interesting.

Renn · 13-05-2011 8:05pm

Don't really get the issue with the slang - you know the score going in so be prepared. And the kids stole the show in the end so it's worth it. It's a pretty great effort for a debut feature imo, well shot, perfect pace, excellent cast...the best thing in the cinema at the moment.

8/10

optogirl · 16-05-2011 11:22am

bonerm wrote: »

One one hand it's directed by Joe Cornish, on the other hand the principles seem to be Londone Yuufs Innit, which I refuse to sit in a cinema listening to for 90mins.

Might pick it up later. Sorry Joe. Love you BYYYEEE!

Was really dissappointed by it - expected Joe to have a much better grasp of what's funny and what isn't. Cliche ridden and actually annoying in many parts. He should have made a film about the Queen and Boggins (lorra lorra)

Renn · 16-05-2011 11:34am

WRONG

optogirl · 16-05-2011 11:36am

Renn wrote: »

WRONG

my opinion is wrong?

Renn · 16-05-2011 12:12pm

I was kidding! Just think you're being a tad harsh on him here, and I'm sure he does know what is and isn't funny in his eyes

optogirl · 16-05-2011 12:22pm

I'm sure he does but I found the film really dissappointing - it was basically the plot of shaun of the dead with none of the wit and I didn't really rate the acting either. Just very surprised cos I love Adam & Joe and pretty much everything they've done together - left the cinema feeling quite dejected after this.

Renn · 16-05-2011 12:42pm

And I really didn't like Shaun of the Dead, ha. Not sure how you can have a go at the acting when the majority of it was done by the kids and they were kinda great in it. From what I've read even the people knocking the film have given credit to them. Funnily enough I thought Nick Frost was poor, even if he was only in it for a short amount of time. But obviously he's in the cast for a reason.

optogirl · 16-05-2011 12:47pm

They weren't awful - just not that believable. Horses for courses I guess.

Renn · 16-05-2011 12:48pm

Well the situation was hardly believable either in fairness

optogirl · 16-05-2011 12:56pm

Whether the story is believeable or not should have no bearing on how the actor approaches it - he/she should still live it as though it were really happening.

Renn · 16-05-2011 1:23pm

And they did that! Anyway, this is getting pretty decent reviews all round and deserves to take some of the money that will undoubtedly go to the abomination that is Thor.

DrumSteve · 16-05-2011 4:22pm

Renn wrote: »

And they did that! Anyway, this is getting pretty decent reviews all round and deserves to take some of the money that will undoubtedly go to the abomination that is Thor.

Thor was a decent film.

Renn · 16-05-2011 9:07pm

Nope.

constitutionus · 16-05-2011 11:55pm

TBH i think frost was only in this to get it made/ greenlit.

its not the comedy its been sold as in the trailers and the kids are the real stars.

kinda reminds me of hanna in that regard. thats not what its been sold as either but at least i like 80s sci/fi films so i dont feel as misled.

Renn · 17-05-2011 1:02am

I didn't even see a trailer for this so never really expected any comedy going in - not that it really needed it any way. Frost is there to bring in the people but the funny thing is he's the weakest guy in the film. Just looked like he called it in tbh.

yammycat · 17-05-2011 3:43am

I would have rented this on video if the chavs got slaughtered, no doubt they won though.

Renn · 17-05-2011 12:28pm

Would you have rewound the tape after watching?

MrStuffins · 05-09-2011 4:50pm

Saw this movie yesterday and just though i'd come and say it was a really excellent movie. Wasn't expecting it to be an all out comedy so I wasn't disappointed when it turned ot not to be.

But what really did surprise me was how good it was as a straight up Sci-Fi Horror movie. I thought it was acted excellently, the action scenes were exciting and the overall concept was a great twist on the whole alien-invasion plot (How often have we seen an Alien Invasion only for the chisled American good guys come and save the world on behalf of everybody?)

I'd highly recommend it!

13th Floor Elevator · 05-09-2011 6:58pm

I'm a fan of Cornish but this was just rubbish.

johnny_ultimate · 18-09-2011 5:02pm

Watched this today and thought it was easily the best straight-up genre film I've seen in a while. Terrific fun. Great setpieces, mildly but endearingly subversive take on action hero protagonists, playful but reserved social commentary (loved the line about rap music / violent video games). Particularly impressed by the direction and monster design. After Super 8 jumped the shark with overblown alien design, nice to see a low budget CGI alternative - pitch black fur and glowing blue neon teeth is a brilliant aesthetic decision, and the action is built around it rather than vice versa.

Yes, it's silly (although plays it straight for much of the running time to Cornish's credit), and not without flaws (some dodgy dialogue, a few not entirely necessary subplots, the odd iffy effect), but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Kontakt · 18-09-2011 5:47pm

I saw the trailer for this on an American forum a while back (not a film forum.), and the majority recommended it, saying it was really good. A lot of them complained about the gang though.. saying they wouldn't survive a day in an American city with real gangs :pac:

Have yet to watch it. Might get to later on.

paulosham · 18-09-2011 7:00pm

Shark Sandwich

Laserface · 19-09-2011 2:03am

its aimed at 10yr olds in my opinion

if you watch this alone expecting a decent thing.. its a horrible atrocity of a film. avoid

but its prob good fun to watch with the nephews etc.

johnny_ultimate · 19-09-2011 3:07am

Good to hear ten year olds have such great taste.

I watched it on my own. I was pleasantly surprised and I dislike Adam & Joe. It's what Hollywood movies would be like if they were directed with affection rather than expensive cynicism.

Myrddin · 19-09-2011 12:56pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Watched this today and thought it was easily the best straight-up genre film I've seen in a while. Terrific fun. Great setpieces, mildly but endearingly subversive take on action hero protagonists, playful but reserved social commentary (loved the line about rap music / violent video games). Particularly impressed by the direction and monster design. After Super 8 jumped the shark with overblown alien design, nice to see a low budget CGI alternative - pitch black fur and glowing blue neon teeth is a brilliant aesthetic decision, and the action is built around it rather than vice versa.

Yes, it's silly (although plays it straight for much of the running time to Cornish's credit), and not without flaws (some dodgy dialogue, a few not entirely necessary subplots, the odd iffy effect), but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

+1 on all of that. Great little film, shines bright amongst the drivel with much bigger budgets.

chin_grin · 19-09-2011 1:34pm

Laserface wrote: »

its aimed at 10yr olds in my opinion

if you watch this alone expecting a decent thing.. its a horrible atrocity of a film. avoid

but its prob good fun to watch with the nephews etc.

I'm just wondering how old are your nephews if this film is rated 15's? No ten year old should be watching someones'

face getting ripped off (although that was a great scene!).

Watched the trailer for this ages ago and promptly forgot about it until I saw it released there.

Absolutely loved it. The (obvious) class stereotypes (in being very self-aware but not too preachy). The one-liners. The gore and horror. Even if it did use the stock "looking through the keyhole" jump shot, it worked.

What became a gang of unlike-able thugs at the beginning became the heroes at the end. I thought that was a nice 180.

Thought it had that feel of those old monster movies.

8/10.

ArticHare · 19-09-2011 1:39pm

One of those movies that kind of did what it said on the tin. Nothing bad to say about it, but nothing particularly good either! Big fan of Joe Cornish from all his Adam and Joe stuff so I'm glad its done well.

Mellor · 20-09-2011 6:49am

constitutionus wrote: »

about my biggest complaint with it is the heavy use of urban slang which is impenetable in places but its mainly at the begining of the film and once it takes off it becomes a really good little action flick

How is that a criticism?
Urban youths use urban slang. Why shouldn't they in a film.

20-09-2011 10:42pm

I thought the film was only ok.

It would have been good only for one massive oversight.

The lead character.

He was an absolute arsehole the whole way through the film and had no redeeming features. And the director had the audacity to throw in cheap, lame tricks to make you like him.

The shoehorned scene of his bedroom and he saying he was 15.. PLEASE.

The way he and the other scummy urchins treated the nurse the whole way through, even while she was helping them after they mugged her!!

He was scum to the bone and I was actually rooting for the aliens near the end.

Also the bit at the end where the residents of the block he once terrorised started chanting his name just ruined the whole film for me.

Ugh....

Laserface · 21-09-2011 12:20am

i didn't mean any offence to anyone there lads.. didn't read the thread before i posted.. so wasn't trying to compare ye to 10yr olds.

my nephews are young...but the real question is how anyone can watch this and not pray to holy god that you'll see the aliens turn the scumbags into lettuce?

it fails on that level solely which is a fairly key one to me personally.

so now the aliens have gone and the little mickey men can return to raping and burning the place?

Bah!

Laserface · 21-09-2011 12:23am

Edz87 wrote: »

He was an absolute arsehole the whole way through the film and had no redeeming features. He was scum to the bone and I was actually rooting for the aliens near the end.

Actually Edz summed it up better just before me. thats the nail on the head there.

Agent Coulson · 18-05-2021 9:20am

Really liked Attacked the Block it will be interesting to see what they will do if the get a big budget.

John Boyega Set To Reunite With Joe Cornish For ‘Attack The Block 2’

The aliens are back on the block. A decade after Attack the Block achieved sci-fi cult status and launched the career of its star John Boyega, Studiocanal, Film4, Complete Fiction Pictures & UpperRoom Productions are moving forward with Attack the Block 2 with Boyega locked to return as Moses.......

“It’s been a decade since Attack the Block was released and so much has changed since then,” Boyega said. “I’m excited to see this heightened story return to the streets of London. Moses has remained one of my favourite characters to play and bringing him back is a huge honour.”

Said Cornish: “I’m thrilled we’re officially announcing our return to the world of Attack the Block on the tenth anniversary of the film’s release. I can’t wait to work alongside John again, bringing audiences an even bigger slice of inner-city alien action.”

https://deadline.com/2021/05/attack-the-block-2-sequel-john-boyega-joe-cornish-reunite-nira-park-studio-canal-film4-cult-classic-1234758463/

pixelburp · 18-05-2021 2:38pm

As it happens, I recently rewatched this; still holds up and a very entertaining slice of British Sci-Fi. Though Boyega's lead character hasn't aged too well, given Britain's problem with inner-city delinquents hasn't got any better (or indeed being asked to side with a kid who openly attacks women walking the streets on her own).

Glad Cornish is getting work; The Kid Who Would be King was a little bit of a misfire after Attack the Block, but still fun enough that I'd want to see more from him. He seems to have a knack for getting good performances out of child actors - which is an unheralded talent IMO.

El Duda · 18-05-2021 4:45pm

I really like Attack the Block

Cornish needs his next film to be box office success. A sequel to this would almost certainly be a winning ticket.

Attack the Block

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