Attack the Block

Screen Gems | Release Date: July 29, 2011

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 227 Ratings

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User Reviews

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wololoooMar 29, 2012

Attack the Block is a fresh twist on the done to death alien invasion film, presenting its tale from the viewpoint of a group of thuggish British teenagers. John Boyega gives a strong performance, but his character is just so uncharismatic.Attack the Block is a fresh twist on the done to death alien invasion film, presenting its tale from the viewpoint of a group of thuggish British teenagers. John Boyega gives a strong performance, but his character is just so uncharismatic. It's hard to warm up to a thug who robs a young girl at knifepoint in the opening scene. He later forces the girl to attend to his friend's wounds, refusing to seek a proffesional's help. The supporting cast is mediocre at best, totally overplaying their roles. The trashy teenage girls annoyed me to no end, with the exception of the down to earth Paige Meade. Nick Frost is wasted, given a promising character but underwhelming dialogue. Too much of the humour is reliant on pop-culture references, rather than anything really original. If there's one thing the film achieved to its fullest, it was reminding me just how much I despise British thug culture.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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RikiegeDec 7, 2012

The alien movies will never be the same.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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utmamJun 11, 2012

I actually disliked the first 30 minutes of this movie, and nearly turned it off. I'm glad I didn't. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and certainly doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. It's full of dark humour and a reasonableI actually disliked the first 30 minutes of this movie, and nearly turned it off. I'm glad I didn't. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and certainly doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. It's full of dark humour and a reasonable enough story line to keep you hooked... once you actually get hooked. The kids who play the main characters are a tad over the top, but not so much that they aren't believable. In truth, it's a well acted movie, and the special effects are (mostly) pretty spectacular. It's fun, plain and simple. There are a few holes in the plot that you can shoot some fireworks through, but if you just want to feel guilty about enjoying a movie with some pretty gruesome scenes, this one is worth a peek.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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RobinsNestFeb 9, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let's be clear, this film is unintelligible. Even with subtitles I had no idea what they meant. I must be out of touch with 15 year olds, a new language is being taught in school (or online) or the culture just has dialects that are foreign to me. There is also one fatal flaw: the hero is a bad guy. He starts out with his gang surrounding a woman in (on?) the "block", robs her and may be just a heartbeat away from doing worse. As the film progresses from I'll do anything I can to be bad, make money or be anti-establishment, to reluctantly taking in his actual victim to some kind of admiration for this kid, I'm supposed to rally behind him? He's still a bad guy and most likely will continue the same behavior. We have the same inept government people not knowing what is going on, focusing on the kids and not the real cause of the mayhem-the aliens. Their is a goofy premise which surfaces in many of these types of films, and the alien effects are less than average. Having said all that I liked the way it was directed and there are some interesting male characters, save our heroine the other girls are depicted as airheads. The pacing was very good and I got involved in the chase and how it was going to get resolved. But with the two issues from above, I do not recommend it (C-).… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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phillyjeffMay 15, 2012

I wanted the whole gang to DIE, the only character i wanted to survive was the nurse. Stupid thug kids and their stupid British accents. I could not understand a single word they were saying.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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HighwayUKSep 5, 2011

I had high hopes for this but having now watched it, all I can say is this is terrible... at no point did I find the characters funny, nor are they likeable in any way, I spent the whole movie wishing the stupid like **** gang thugs would beI had high hopes for this but having now watched it, all I can say is this is terrible... at no point did I find the characters funny, nor are they likeable in any way, I spent the whole movie wishing the stupid like **** gang thugs would be ripped apart before the end... Had this been set in America with real gangs it might have worked, but dumb ass kid wannabes with brixton accents trying too hard to sound black is a big NO NO.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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rotkuSep 17, 2012

Entertaining B movie sci-fi film which is better than expected. The kids are believable and although the aliens are like deformed furbys they look realistic.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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HalfwelshmanOct 30, 2011

I was a little disappointed with Attack the Block. The film had so much hype in the lead up to release, perhaps my high expectations would never be met. There's plenty of action and the odd good joke, but I do have issues with the film. II was a little disappointed with Attack the Block. The film had so much hype in the lead up to release, perhaps my high expectations would never be met. There's plenty of action and the odd good joke, but I do have issues with the film. I know it's only a low-budget British sci-fi, but the aliens are really rubbish. They're just big shadows with luminous teeth, and aren't scary in the least. Surely you could have had a monster that is only ever glimpsed, leaving the audience to their own imagination, which is always infinitely more scary? As it is, Attack the Block relies on cheap jumpy moments and a liberal splatter of gore to provide its moments of horror. My main issue with the film though, is the explicitly white, middle-class view of inner city street gangs. You can almost see the checklist the filmmakers followed when writing the gang (made up largely of tabloid snippets) - hoods: check, silly little bikes: check, liberal use of "innit": check. The gang borders on Catherine Tate levels of parody, and consequently the characters can never be particularly believable or engaging, no matter how good some of the young actors involved are. And why on earth is Nick Frost in the film? We know you've got the producer of Shaun of the Dead on board, but are you trying to fool us into thinking that the film is going to be in the same league by pretending you're part of the Wright-Pegg-Frost brand? The director Joe Cornish could very possibly be an interesting filmmaker in future, but as a debut, Attack the Block is competent, but nothing special.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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SpangleJan 9, 2016

Attack the Block fell short of my expectations as a whole, but did have many positive traits. What it lacked in good characterization and in storytelling ability, it made up with its ability to make you laugh and be thrilled, but especiallyAttack the Block fell short of my expectations as a whole, but did have many positive traits. What it lacked in good characterization and in storytelling ability, it made up with its ability to make you laugh and be thrilled, but especially the later thanks to its brilliant creature design. Though not a horror film, it certainly feels like one in the way it builds tension and really delivers a great pay-off for that tension. Now, the writing for those scenes is very strong, but scenes in which the characters merely interact fall flat and just annoy the viewer. It is also awkward in the sense that it crafts characters we do not like, then tries to make us feel bad for them by the end. Additionally, its plot seems a bit too fortunate and unlikely in the way it ultimately turns out. All the same, the science fiction element of this is expertly crafted and shows serious skill, even if the non-science fiction elements fall flat.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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tethysdustMar 14, 2017

The main characters are not particularly sympathetic--you first meet them while they're mugging someone, so the film initially seems to encourage you to hope for their comeuppance via alien invasion. The language was also pretty hard toThe main characters are not particularly sympathetic--you first meet them while they're mugging someone, so the film initially seems to encourage you to hope for their comeuppance via alien invasion. The language was also pretty hard to understand, though subtitles help. It was full of very contemporary pop culture references, and parts of it were quite funny.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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RickyReviewsJun 23, 2016

"Attack the Block" is exactly what you should expect from an R-rated sci-fi. Gore, loads of f-bombs, and crazy dialogue. The film is very cheesy, but very entertaining. The street thugs turn into kick ass superheros who fend off these aliens"Attack the Block" is exactly what you should expect from an R-rated sci-fi. Gore, loads of f-bombs, and crazy dialogue. The film is very cheesy, but very entertaining. The street thugs turn into kick ass superheros who fend off these aliens from destroying London. Very entertaining, right? I say if you enjoyed Alien, Independence Day, or Straight Outta Compton, you will enjoy Attack The Block. 6/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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