Writer(s): Cornish
Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones
Attack the Block is what happens when you take a Hollywood blockbuster, and simply transport it overseas; much like those films, what starts off fun gradually gets more and more grating as it follows the “big-budget sci-fi film checklist” almost to a “T”. I suppose that this is actually a compliment, albeit maybe a backhanded one, because I have to admit the movie looks every bit as good as a hundred-plus million dollar film, yet it was accomplished for a mere $13 million USD ($8 million GBP). How is it that, as American film budgets continue to spiral out of control, that overseas productions can manage the same look and feel, for just a fraction of the cost? I’m sure stroking the egos of Hollywood “stars” plays some kind of role in this, but for an industry that’s supposedly reeling from piracy, they sure refuse to tighten their purse strings under any circumstance.
One of the main areas Attack the Block is saved, at least as far as it being a downright bore is concerned, is in the likability of its cast. These aren’t some sci-fi film geeks that band together to stop an alien invasion, but a group of teenaged thugs that roam the South London streets, selling drugs and mugging anyone clueless enough to wander into their territory. Okay, okay, it's obvious that by the end of the movie, they will come around and turn out to be nice guys; that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion in a film like this. But even in the earliest parts, like right after stealing a woman’s phone and wallet (a woman who, as it also is assumed, will end up becoming a main character and will have to rely on them for help—and vice versa--later on), their banter is rather lighthearted and comical. They don’t come across like irredeemable thugs, but rather like normal teenagers, who unfortunately have to resort to such actions to make ends meet.
The leader of the gang is Moses (John Boyega), a “fifteen-year-old” (clearly much older…in this case, he was nineteen at the time of filming) who has dreams of rising up the criminal ranks. Right after the mugging, a meteor falls from the sky, smashing a nearby car. This sudden diversion allows the woman, Sam (Jodie Whittaker), to make a clean escape, while the gang investigates the cause of the noise. As most of you probably will be able to tell, it’s an alien. They chase it down and kill it.
Hoping this will get them some additional street cred, they take it to their weed dealer, Ron. Ron’s not sure what to do with it, so he consults with the local “boss” Hi-Hatz for advice. Hi-Hatz agrees to keep the alien corpse for now, until they figure out the next steps to take. In the meantime, he gives Moses some drugs to sell, offering him a chance to gain his respect if he can turn them.
Then, there’s another loud crash. And another. Then another. More and more aliens are crash landing to Earth, and the gang is all too eager to take them on! What we have had, at least up until around this point, is a charming film that, like the best works centering around kids and teenagers, made me want to be a kid again. While their carefree attitudes are, of course, putting their lives in danger, that’s really not the point—what boy hasn’t daydreamed about saving the planet from some kind of immediate threat? It's the kind of scenario that resonates with children everywhere, and the children inside everyone else. The teens each hit up their respective homes, load up on weapons, and ride their bikes to the closest crash site to take on the extraterrestrial threat.
Unfortunately, it is also around this time that the pure feeling of fun and escapism is ruined, and its formula is required to set in. Sam, who was driving around with the police, looking for the thugs, sees Moses; since he has the drugs that Hi-Hatz gave him, he is arrested while the rest of the gang watches on from afar, helpless to stop him. What could possibly happen to prevent him from going to prison? A well-timed alien attack, of course! So now it’s Moses and Sam remaining, street thug and previous victim, forced to band together to make it out alive. As more of the aliens close in on them, Moses takes off in the cop van, and in the ensuing chase, happens to run into Hi-Hatz’s car! Enraged, Hi-Hatz threatens to kill Moses and the gang (who by now have arrived on foot), but is again conveniently saved by attacking aliens. This cues yet another tired cliché: the required human villain. Even though Hi-Hatz sees the aliens himself, he remains so angry with Moses for ruining his car that he’ll stop at nothing to kill him. Yawn. Would it surprise you if I told you that he eventually meets his demise at the hands of aliens? Yawn.
Well there’s pretty much the rest of the movie from here: Kids fight aliens, kids kill aliens, aliens kill the occasional kid, cops arrest Moses, apparently unaware of the alien outbreak that’s been happening all around them, and then it all resolves itself in a happy ending. Barf.
As I stated previously, this starts off fun, but by about the midway point just seems more focused on running through as many familiar plot points, and storytelling devices, as it possibly can for the rest of the way. Like the scene where one of the kids, known as Biggz, bets the others he can jump from one stairwell to another, only to be talked out of it. I’ll bet there’ll be a scene later where he’s being chased by aliens and has no other choice but to attempt the jump! This always frustrates me. Out of all the possibilities of film, why is it that we seem to constantly be watching linear retreads of one another? It's like being allowed to roam free in a large castle, but confining yourself to the closet. Or being given an entire swath of land to explore, but staying in one spot because the rest is too scary and uncertain.
It might seem like I harp on predictability all the time, but these are the reasons why. It might not be irritating to some, but it's maddening to me. Here we are, in a time when pretty much anything imagined can be tossed on the screen, no matter the budget, and large amounts of filmmakers are just content to "follow the leader" and make something without a hint of originality whatsoever. I understand, and am pretty much in agreement, with the argument that "there's nothing completely original anymore." But does that really mean we should toss in the towel before we even try? Why make something that's already been done to death? It just defies all logic. Like owning an island, but never leaving the house to explore it (I can do these lame analogies all day, so someone please stop me.)
The only thoroughly original decision in all of this, can be found in the creature design. I can see where many would be put off by them (they look like furry gorillas more than the typical movie aliens we’ve come to embrace), but I thought they were fascinating; the added touch of having their teeth glow in the dark is inexplicably awesome. Gore effects are pretty few and far between, but are convincing (and pretty graphic) the rare times they are used, so some extra points are awarded for that.
I also nearly forgot to mention the soundtrack, by Steven Price and electronic music group Basement Jaxx, which adds to the film’s focus on rhythm and movement. There were no droning, creepy passages meant to evoke feelings of dread; instead, it’s all kept upbeat, with heavy bass beats converging with keyboards and, thanks to the addition of Price, more traditional orchestration. It really does a great job of accenting the film’s many action sequences (and makes a great elongated slow-motion escape scene absolutely epic).
In the end, there’s just too much familiarity for me to recommend it, and I quickly started losing focus the closer to the end it got. Those that just want a movie they can pop in and not have to think about will probably find a lot to like; for me, I don’t enjoy watching a movie for the first time, and feeling like I’ve seen it a thousand times already.
RECAP: The lead characters are likeable, the alien design is unique and inspired, and the soundtrack keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, everything else is just pedestrian stuff, with an unimaginative plot, and more clichés than there are attacking aliens; it’s all so predictable, chances are good that you’ll get déjà vu while watching it. I know there are many people that don’t mind that quality in a film, and if you are one of them, then chances are you’re going to get a big kick out of this. But for me, if I can keep predicting a movie as it goes along—unless there’s some other aspect so strong that it can make up for it—then there’s really no motivation for me to get caught up in it.
RATING: 5/10
The only thoroughly original decision in all of this, can be found in the creature design. I can see where many would be put off by them (they look like furry gorillas more than the typical movie aliens we’ve come to embrace), but I thought they were fascinating; the added touch of having their teeth glow in the dark is inexplicably awesome. Gore effects are pretty few and far between, but are convincing (and pretty graphic) the rare times they are used, so some extra points are awarded for that.
I also nearly forgot to mention the soundtrack, by Steven Price and electronic music group Basement Jaxx, which adds to the film’s focus on rhythm and movement. There were no droning, creepy passages meant to evoke feelings of dread; instead, it’s all kept upbeat, with heavy bass beats converging with keyboards and, thanks to the addition of Price, more traditional orchestration. It really does a great job of accenting the film’s many action sequences (and makes a great elongated slow-motion escape scene absolutely epic).
In the end, there’s just too much familiarity for me to recommend it, and I quickly started losing focus the closer to the end it got. Those that just want a movie they can pop in and not have to think about will probably find a lot to like; for me, I don’t enjoy watching a movie for the first time, and feeling like I’ve seen it a thousand times already.
RECAP: The lead characters are likeable, the alien design is unique and inspired, and the soundtrack keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, everything else is just pedestrian stuff, with an unimaginative plot, and more clichés than there are attacking aliens; it’s all so predictable, chances are good that you’ll get déjà vu while watching it. I know there are many people that don’t mind that quality in a film, and if you are one of them, then chances are you’re going to get a big kick out of this. But for me, if I can keep predicting a movie as it goes along—unless there’s some other aspect so strong that it can make up for it—then there’s really no motivation for me to get caught up in it.
RATING: 5/10
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