Attack the Block (2011)

[Mofo Rising]

Oh I loved this so much.

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

I didn't really find that trailer too appealing, but I had heard good things. Tempe won some sort of internet contest, so it is currently playing in the Greater Phoenix area before it opens wide in the U.S. I watched it last Sunday.

Here's the basic story: We are first introduced to our hooligans when they mug a defenseless woman, which should not put you on their side. Shortly after that the vanguard of an alien invasion of earth attacks. The rest of the movie you should discover for yourself.

The greatest thing about this movie is how effectively it starts from something small and ramps up from there. There are several moments of this films that I found shocking, and it is fantastic.

My main response to this film was F**K YES.

If there is one film this year that you should make an effort to see, and you will probably have to make an effort to see it, it is Attack the Block. This is a straight up monster film, and some of the most fun I have had at the movies this year. Go watch it.

[Rev. Powell]

I'm going to see this next week, I have high hopes.

[InformationGeek]

It isn't playing near me so I won't be able to see it until it hits DVD.  Such a shame because I've heard good things about it and it sounds like it would be a lot of fun.  This has been the year with a sudden boost in alien invasion movies (Super 8, Cowboys & Aliens, Battle Los Angeles, etc.) so does this mean that aliens now the in thing?

http://www.spill.com/Audio/AudioPost.aspx?audioId=680

[Pilgermann]

I, too, plan on checking this one out sometime in the coming week.  The buzz is pretty darn good on this so hopefully I don't get my hopes too high.  Haven't watched a trailer, yet, don't think I will.

[Vik]

Looks very good, seeing it soon.

[Rev. Powell]

I got my hopes too high.  I liked the flick, but not nearly as much as Mofo.  I'd say its an enjoyable popcorn flick, but not a must see.  A few thoughts:

*The main novelty here, for Americans, is the setting.  We're not used to seeing "chavs" or "council houses."  You could easily see it set in the projects, though, so we can relate.
*The accents are thick and full of unfamiliar slang, so I couldn't catch a lot of the dialogue.
*Since it focuses on characterization and people being slowly picked off by an overwhelming force lurking outside, there's a strong NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD feel to it.
*They did do a good job of creating a spectacle on a medium-sized budget.  I can't say I'm crazy about the creature's physical gimmick, though.
*I like that they did take a stab at explaining the alien's hunting behavior in a somewhat plausible way.
*I think blockbuster fatigue may account for the film's popularity.  It's nice to see something that's character-focused with a few explosions, rather than the other way around.

[Vik]

I just discovered that no any theatre near me is screening this film  It was one of the few releases this year I'm actually excited about for once.

[Vik]

Just saw it, and liked it quite a bit  A fun ride from beginning to end, however not perfect.

[benjamindlevin]

Watched it and loved it.  I am an American and did not find the slang or accents to be difficult to follow.  The movie was simply good overall fun.  This isn't a head scratcher.  This is a straight forward movie which lays everything out on the table.  No under-lying message to take away, just sit back nosh on your popcorn and enjoy.

[JPickettIII]

Looks good, will have to watch it.   

Later,

John

[InformationGeek]

Just picked up the DVD today and finished watching it moments ago.  That was awesome.  I think it was the best alien invasion movie we had this year (though I still have to see Super 8) and I appreciated the amount of characterization that went into making these characters more well rounded than I've seen in other movies of this type.  Solid action, good acting, good humor, good scares, and a very good soundtrack.  My only problem is that I had trouble occasionally understanding the characters, but that can't be helped.

I give a solid 9 out of 10, though it's not my favorite film this year.  It might have been if  I haven't seen so many good films this year.  Still, sci-fi and monster fans should check this out.

[Jim H]

I agree with the Rev on this one.  Good fun, good performances, well-made, but not the amazing all-time classic some are calling it.  I will say I found some of the accents in the beginning very hard to understand, but after about 15 minutes in, the slang seemed to get easier to follow.  Also, any of the major points in dialogue were always spoken in a way that was easy to understand.

7/10.

[lester1/2jr]

I confused it with Attack the Gas Station.

[WhenBadMoviesAttack]

I've saw this film a few times now and to be honest with you guys. I LOVE UK gritty films.
This film opened promising and followed through with it until about 40 minutes in, after that, it felt washed.

But the very ending rubbed me the wrong way. Ever heard of the saying "Mary Sue"?
Its basically when a Ordinary person has some kind of hidden power (or level head throughout) and somehow, even though being human, turns into a super hero, conquering impossible tasks without breaking a sweat.

Still, overall a good film if I'm honest.

[dean]

Just watched it and loved it.  I wouldn't call it an instant classic, but a damn enjoyable film with some great characters.  One of my favourite films of the year.  Whoever did the casting should be awarded a medal: all the kids did a great job.  The soundtrack was pretty banging too.

Looking into the credits, not surprised that Edgar Wright had a hand in this, and that the director, Joe Cornish, was a writer on Big Train [love that show].  Definitely looking forward to seeing more from him.

Its interesting a couple of the people who posted on this thread who didn't like it so much struggled with the accents but I found it easy to follow [the Brixton accent almost sounds Kiwi at times] and moreover it was actually quite witty but I can imagine that can be hard to follow if you don't know what exactly they're on about.