Gangster Squad (C+ or 2/4 stars)
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) is building his underworld empire in 'Gangster Squad' (directed by Ruben Fleischer of Zombieland, & based on a true story). Not only does he have his own paid goons, but he also has L.A. politicians & members of the police force in his pocket. He reaps gains from dope, guns, & prostitutes. And he devises has a plan that will give him control over all the illegal $$ funneling into the West from N.Y. & Chicago. Standing in his way is our "Gangster Squad" - a secret group of 6 brave LAPD officers who work to bring down Cohen's growing empire.
Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) hand-picks his 5 cohorts: fellow war vet Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), a cop who cares little for authority; Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), an African-American cop from the other side of town; sharpshooter, Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) & his sidekick, Navidad Ramirez (Michael Pena); and a genius wire-tapper, Conway Keeler (a relatively timid Giovanni Ribisi). The Gangster Squad gets off to a slow start, with 2 members thrown in the clinker (leading to a humorous, if cartoonish jailbreak). But once they plant a bug in Mickey's opulent home, things start to look up for our squadron; as more & more $$ is not getting to Mickey's hands. Mickey flips his lid. And the results are ... predictably gory.
'Gangster Squad' delivers what fans of the gangster movie genre expect -- Tommy guns, violence, revenge, loss, & redemption. And speaking of guns, this movie was supposed to be released last fall, but was delayed in the wake of the Colorado multiplex shooting; and the entire shoot-out in a movie theater climax had to be re-shot. Now, the best thing about the film is how the filmmakers convey 1940s L.A.. Though it's stylized & idealized, the jazzy sets & period costumes look great.
Sean Penn, playing real-life mobster Mickey Cohen, hams it up as only he can do. The good guys are paragons of virtue. Josh Brolin plays the leader of the squad as dedicated, yet imperfect (putting his job ahead of his family). Ryan Gosling inflects a humorous L.A.-of-the-times accent & offers his usual slick charms. Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, & Michael Pena all have fun with their roles; I wish they all could have been more developed in the script. And while Emma Stone provides a slinky film noir heroine visage, I found some of her line deliveries to be a bit anachronistic. Still, she's a stunner, & her chemistry with Gosling is a virtue.
You know, 'Gangster Squad' is not awful enough to shake your head at, but it lacks the vision & depth of genre classics like L.A. Confidential. Similar to 1987's The Untouchables, 'Gangster Squad' plays fast & loose with history; offering an energetic car chase in the middle & a cinematically appealing climax that includes - what else - a fist fight. Taken on its own terms, 'Gangster Squad' offers decent lowbrow entertainment. Sure, Penn's blustery performance made me sit up in my seat. There is violence for days. And as mentioned, the movie is sleek & stylish. But it's all fairly superficial and, well, forgettable. I liked it okay while I was watching it. It ends how you'd want/expect it to. But without any sharp insight into the history of this story ... the movie is dissipating in my memory even as I type.
Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) hand-picks his 5 cohorts: fellow war vet Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), a cop who cares little for authority; Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), an African-American cop from the other side of town; sharpshooter, Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) & his sidekick, Navidad Ramirez (Michael Pena); and a genius wire-tapper, Conway Keeler (a relatively timid Giovanni Ribisi). The Gangster Squad gets off to a slow start, with 2 members thrown in the clinker (leading to a humorous, if cartoonish jailbreak). But once they plant a bug in Mickey's opulent home, things start to look up for our squadron; as more & more $$ is not getting to Mickey's hands. Mickey flips his lid. And the results are ... predictably gory.
'Gangster Squad' delivers what fans of the gangster movie genre expect -- Tommy guns, violence, revenge, loss, & redemption. And speaking of guns, this movie was supposed to be released last fall, but was delayed in the wake of the Colorado multiplex shooting; and the entire shoot-out in a movie theater climax had to be re-shot. Now, the best thing about the film is how the filmmakers convey 1940s L.A.. Though it's stylized & idealized, the jazzy sets & period costumes look great.
Sean Penn, playing real-life mobster Mickey Cohen, hams it up as only he can do. The good guys are paragons of virtue. Josh Brolin plays the leader of the squad as dedicated, yet imperfect (putting his job ahead of his family). Ryan Gosling inflects a humorous L.A.-of-the-times accent & offers his usual slick charms. Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, & Michael Pena all have fun with their roles; I wish they all could have been more developed in the script. And while Emma Stone provides a slinky film noir heroine visage, I found some of her line deliveries to be a bit anachronistic. Still, she's a stunner, & her chemistry with Gosling is a virtue.
You know, 'Gangster Squad' is not awful enough to shake your head at, but it lacks the vision & depth of genre classics like L.A. Confidential. Similar to 1987's The Untouchables, 'Gangster Squad' plays fast & loose with history; offering an energetic car chase in the middle & a cinematically appealing climax that includes - what else - a fist fight. Taken on its own terms, 'Gangster Squad' offers decent lowbrow entertainment. Sure, Penn's blustery performance made me sit up in my seat. There is violence for days. And as mentioned, the movie is sleek & stylish. But it's all fairly superficial and, well, forgettable. I liked it okay while I was watching it. It ends how you'd want/expect it to. But without any sharp insight into the history of this story ... the movie is dissipating in my memory even as I type.