From the producer of “Shaun Of The Dead” comes “Attack The Block”, a jacked up horror comedy that puts a gang of London thugs against outer space invaders. The script isn’t always steady on its feet, but the actors score knockouts. It has no real headlining stars (with the exception of Nick Frost), it was shot on a tight budget, and the main characters are hoodlums who speak in thick British accents, which isn’t always easy to decipher. No matter. “Attack The Block” is pretty good, for what it is. It tells a familiar story in a refreshingly new way, and eventhough it runs out of steam after the hour mark, I still had a good time watching it. The five hoodlums are the stereotypical picture of dangerous inner-city youth, but they’re also funny, and at some point, kind. They’ve also got a tendency for violence, which is why when a mysterious creature crash lands on the street from the sky, their first instinct is to beat the hell out of it and drag it around like a prize. Big mistake. Soon enough, more aliens start raining from the sky, ugly furry black creatures with bright red eyes and sharp teeth. This keeps the aliens mysterious and menacing, and saves the filmmakers the burden of creating more detailed CGI’s. I admit though: it isn’t the best use of special effects, but seeing that it was shot on a small budget, it’s still pretty impressive. The good soundtrack  also seems to be an important ingredient here. “Attack The Block” matches music and movie in a fun and clever way. It’s one of those soundtracks you want to keep playing in your head, long after the credits stop rolling.

Overall, “Attack The Block” is a fun ride. It’s a movie that some big budget directors should look to before trying to feed us with yet another alien invasion (“Cowboys and Aliens”, I’m referring to you). And remember: “Even if it is an alien invasion, they’re four foot high, blind and got kicked to death by a bunch of kids. We got nothing to worry about”.

Rating: 2.5/4