Attack the Block - DVD

Film: Already Neill Blomkamp proved with District 9 that aliens don't always have to land in the USA to provide good alien entertainment. Joe Cornish, part of the popular British comedy duo Adam and Joe, also shows in Attack the Block that alien invasions far from familiar landmarks can have an extremely high fun factor and provide the best basis for original entertainment.

On her evening commutes home to her flat in a troubled area of South London, young nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is regularly accompanied by anxiety. And on this night, all her fears seem to be confirmed when she is attacked by a group of masked youths. But just as the kids led by gang leader Moses (John Boyega) take her money and cell phone, a meteorite smashes into a parked car right next to the boys. While Sam takes the opportunity to escape, Moses and his gang face an attack from a bloodthirsty alien. Unfortunately for the alien visitor, the kids aren't so easily intimidated by a monster - and without further ado, the alien is hunted down. But the gang doesn't have much time to impress the girls, dealer Ron (Nick Frost) or drug lord Hi-Hatz (Jumayn Hunter) with their trophy. Because soon enough, a veritable meteor shower descends on the block and the gang is faced with an all-powerful alien invasion. And to survive it, they have to team up with Sam, of all people.

Attack the Block is a curious mix that begins as a teen drama, then morphs into a typical invasion thriller, only to mutate into a tangible horror comedy. The fact that this original genre mix was produced by the team behind films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz is definitely noticeable in a positive way, and not just thanks to Nick Frost's amusing performance. In the process, Cornish manages the feat of turning characters who seem utterly unlikeable at the start into the heroes of the story in no time at all, making you root for them with glee at what's happening on screen.

Besides, and also this connects the film with the great District 9, Attack the Block is also not stingy with more or less subtle social criticism. Especially with regard to the recent riots in London and other British cities, the film, despite all the comedy and fantastic elements, has a certain explosiveness that makes the amusing alien hunt a pleasantly multilayered entertainment film. So Attack the Block works both for a teenage audience that is just looking for fun and cool sayings. But it also provides perfect entertainment just for those genre fans who enjoy social satire, references to other genre representatives, and original storytelling.

To be fair, towards the end even this in itself very original production falls prey to one or the other cliché and lets a bit too much pathos reign towards the finale. But this doesn't harm the overall positive impression. Attack the Block is despite a low budget and hardly known faces a great cinematic pleasure, which is undoubtedly one of the great genre highlights of the year. Absolutely recommended!

Image + Sound: The technical realization of the film on the DVD is quite satisfactory. The picture is clean and in most moments even to smaller details pleasantly sharp, only in the numerous darker moments there are here and there small deductions in the B grade, as here but some details are lost. The sound can convince both in the quieter, dominated by the dialogue, as well as in the more action-heavy scenes with decent surround effects and a pleasant dynamic. Good.

Extras: The only extra, besides the trailer for the film, is really something to behold. The Making of, with just under an hour running time, is very detailed and takes an entertaining look at the filming, with a particular focus on the youthful cast. German subtitles are available for the documentary. Very Good.

Conclusion: Attack the Block is an original as well as entertaining genre concoction that works as a youth drama as well as an invasion thriller and horror comedy. The DVD is technically on a good level and also has a detailed making of to offer. For this there is a deserved: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp