AS IF the fear of being mugged, stabbed or caught in the cross-fire of a gangland shooting wasn’t reason enough to avoid a south London council estate these days, horny, gorilla-like aliens with day-glo teeth will now have to be added to that list.

Joe Cornish (of Adam and Joe fame) is the second comedian to turn movie director this year, after Richard Ayoade wowed critics with his quirky coming of age tale Submarine in March.

But while Ayoade’s film is an astoundingly confident debut, Cornish’s Attack The Block, in which aliens invade a council estate on bonfire night, has plenty of big bangs but fails to really light up the sky.

Jodie Whittaker stars as a trainee nurse mugged near the tower block where she lives in Oval on November 5.

The attention then turns to the gang of muggers, led by Moses (John Boyega), who beat to death an alien which drops to Earth — a bald, scrawny looking goblin.

Initially triumphant about their kill, it’s not long before more visitors drop in, quite literally, for a bite to eat.

Only difference is these ones are deep black and hairy, save for neon blue gnashers.

News Shopper: Inner city versus outer space in Attack The Block. Photo: Optimum Releasing

The gang are forced to hole up in their beloved “block” to fight a guerilla war against the nasties and defend their home’s petrified residents, who include Whittaker, plus a stoned yuppie with delusions of street cred played by Luke Treadaway.

The film owes much to the deadpan, silliness of that other great British comedy horror Shaun of the Dead and even features Nick Frost as the estate’s cuddly drug dealer.

But unlike Shaun, Attack The Block struggles to be both scary and funny.

There are some satisfying jumpy shocks and gore splattered action, but it’s as terrifying as an eight-year-old waving a sparkler.

The laughs are also disappointingly thin on the ground, but there are some genuinely decent lines — Frost with binoculars, surveying the scene from his window in horror, exclaims, “Blockbuster’s shut down.”

Cornish seems keen for us to feel a certain amount of empathy for the downtrodden “yoof” of today, but you’ll find it a struggle to have compassion for a gang of hoodies who have little regret about pulling a knife on their innocent neighbour.

On the positive side, the film looks stunning and the battle scene finale is dazzling.

Cornish’s script also shows an uncanny grasp of saarf London slang.

Attack the Block is a fresh and exciting idea, but it lacks that Frost/Pegg magic, innit.

Attack The Block (15) is out tomorrow.