There are two films this summer that feature young teenagers fending off an alien invasion. One was directed by a big Hollywood name with a loyal fan base; the other was made by a first-time filmmaker. One had a budget of $50 million, enough to provide some serious special effects; the other cost just $13 million to make. Against all odds, though, the Brit flick “Attack the Block” is a far more entertaining — and unquestionably more original — movie than the Spielberg homage “Super 8.”
Produced by the team behind “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun of the Dead,” but filmed by debut director Joe Cornish, “Attack the Block” is outrageous fun. The sci-fi action comedy begins with a mugging, as nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is jumped by a gang of hoodlums near her apartment in London. She gets away unscathed when the teens are distracted by something landing on a nearby car.
