"Modern-Day Moses Saves the Day"
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What You Need To Know:
ATTACK THE BLOCK is often very entertaining. It also has some positive messages under its humorous, scary, violent mayhem. In the end, Moses risks his life for others and finds a kind of redemption as his neighbors cheer his name. Despite the movie’s moral, redemptive content, and allusions to the Biblical Moses, it contains an excessive combination of abundant foul language, graphic violence and a pro-marijuana message. This negative content makes ATTACK THE BLOCK unacceptable viewing.
Content:
(PaPaPa, B, C, P, PC, LLL, VVV, AA, DDD, MM) Very strong mixed pagan worldview with light but solid moral, redemptive elements and premise extolling heroism forgiveness and sacrifice with allegorical elements (lead character is called Moses), about a swarm of big-toothed aliens attacking a housing project in London, plus some patriotic references to saving England from the aliens and light politically correct content and references regarding police versus juvenile delinquents and criminals, and racism against poor blacks; at least 100 obscenities and profanities, including many “f” words and some strong profanities; lots of very strong violence with blood and gore and action violence includes fights between people and scary furry aliens, aliens rip off man’s nose, alien attacks people in elevator and when door is opened again man is covered in blood and gore, blood sprays and spurts from people and aliens, alien kills teenage boy, alien drags away another teenager, alien torched on fire with gasoline, two other aliens set on fire with firecrackers, aliens bite people, alien smashes policeman against van’s window, alien electrocuted, five teenagers mug woman, teenagers drive motorcycles to get away from aliens chasing them, two motorcycles crash into wall but get up again, policeman tackles teenager, some gunplay; brief crude sexual remarks, and it’s lightly implied briefly that a couple kissing may fornicate or might have done it; no nudity; suggested underage alcohol use; very bad marijuana references includes teenage juvenile delinquents and gang members are friends with a marijuana grower with a massive secret garden, teenagers shown smoking marijuana, two men are shown smoking marijuana, police find marijuana in teenager’s pocket, and marijuana dealer gives teenager some marijuana and tells him to sell it; and, stealing, teenagers from inner city public housing mug nurse but leader befriends her after an alien attacks her and they all work together to stop alien attacks and leader realizes his sins to a certain extent, teenage gangs, racism, revenge.
More Detail:
ATTACK THE BLOCK is an entertaining British science fiction movie presented by Edgar Wright, who’s achieved fame in the US with the comedies SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ, two other edgy comedy-action hybrids. It has some excessive negative content, however.
ATTACK THE BLOCK has an obviously lower budget with a cast of unknowns other than Nick Frost, who plays a pothead and dealer whose marijuana-filled apartment serves as a hangout for the teenage gangs living in his housing project in London. The movie centers on a night in which scary furry alien monsters crash into the neighborhood and attack humans. The police, however, believe a gang war has erupted instead and handle the situation entirely wrong. One particular gang leader, a black teenager named Moses, leads the innovative attacks on the aliens using an array of toys, fireworks and household appliances to fight them.
During the action, different gangs team up together to fight the evil aliens on behalf of England and humanity. Moses even teams up with a female victim of an early mugging he supervised, seeking forgiveness from her as well.
ATTACK THE BLOCK is often a very entertaining action comedy. It also shows some positive messages underneath the comically scary mayhem. In the end, Moses risks his life for others and finds a kind of redemption as his neighbors cheer his name. The implications of a guy named Moses rising from a low state to lead everyone to safety and then having his name chanted in the end is an unmistakable nod to the Biblical Moses.
Despite these positive elements, some teenagers in the movie are shown smoking marijuana from the local marijuana dealer. The youths in ATTACK THE BLOCK also curse a lot, and use a couple crude sexual innuendoes. In addition, there’s too much graphic violence in ATTACK THE BLOCK. There’s also a light politically correct subtext about the police versus the juvenile gangs and racism against black people. For example, one black teen alleges the police may be behind all the drugs and guns in the neighborhood as well as the alien attack, in order to hurt black people. Most of the action in ATTACK THE BLOCK, however, revolves around the teenagers fighting off the aliens. Also, at an important point, the female victim reminds Moses that his criminal behavior has consequences, and he returns the ring he and his friends stole from her.
All and all, though ATTACK THE BLACK has some moral, redemptive elements, the frequent foul language, graphic violence and marijuana references make an excessive combination. So, MOVIEGUIDE® rates the movie as unacceptable viewing. Some judicious editing and moral intelligence could have made ATTACK THE BLOCK much more palatable and uplifting.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
