Review - Gangster Squad

At the Theater - "Gangster Squad" - This not-so-closely based on a real life tale of an "off the books" team of Los Angeles policemen formed to wage vigilante-style war against the rampant criminal element of the city is decidedly fast and loose- much like the popcorn and chocolate covered almonds one would munch on in a theater, this film is serviceable while it lasts but you may feel a bit guilty about it later. Characters are underdeveloped across the board, sadly wasting an impressive cast- it never sniffs upon the greatness of 30's, 40's and 50's era crime genre standouts like The Untouchables, L.A. Confidential or Road To Perdition. It looks nice and moves briskly and perhaps that's all that most would want from it...

Director Ruben Fleischer  (Zombieland - a film I enjoyed, 30 Minutes Or Less - O.K. but underdone) appears uncomfortable and out of his element with the material- there's a paint-by-numbers, predictable feel to the progression of events that sucks the life out of it.  The clothing, set pieces, assorted props and vintage automobiles all seem a bit too shiny and brand new for their own good- the overproduced look and overall lack of a "lived-in" feel only works against a feeling of authenticity.  Commendably, the film takes an R-Rated approach to the appropriately violent subject matter and there's an absolute minimum of noticeable CGI.

Josh Brolin, as Los Angeles Detective and former war hero "Sgt. John O'Mara", reminded me a little too much of Warren Beatty as "Dick Tracy"- his ham-fisted leader of the Squad in question is a little too dense and caricaturish to really establish any charisma.  I've never been impressed with the actor as a leading man, though I've always felt it's been the material he's working with and not necessarily a lack of talent.

Ryan Gosling (Drive) co-stars as the disillusioned and carefree "Sgt. Jerry Wooters", who is reluctantly recruited into the fray by a tragedy- his inherent likability and talent shines through in what I believe to be the most genuine performance in the film.

Sean Penn is often over the top as Gangster "Mickey Cohen"- a ruthlessly ambitious former boxer aiming to monopolize all crime in Los Angeles.  It's a solid, villainous performance from an actor I've never liked or appreciated- it fits him.  I find it funny how the heavy makeup around his eyes in the film is absent from the above poster...

Emma Stone (Zombieland,  Easy A) is the common love interest between bad man Cohen and good guy Wooters- the talented, but ultimately too youngish-looking actress isn't quite able to achieve the vampish tone her character, "Grace Faraday", obviously called for.  She's pretty, as always, but I couldn't help but think that the role should have gone to a slightly older, more seasoned actress.

The undervalued Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, soon to be "The Falcon" in Captain America 2: Winter Soldier), plays "Officer Coleman Harris" here- he's given a couple of memorable lines but deserved so much more, while Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) is the wire-tapping expert of the team, "Conway Keeler."

Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) adds a little Old West flavor as the six-gun toting "Officer Max Kennard", with Michael Pena (End Of Watch, Crash) rounding out the squad as his partner-in-training, "Navidad Ramirez". Pena seems thrown in as a token afterthought, which is a shame.

Nick Nolte  (48 Hours) makes a few appearances as the police chief who authorizes the team with Sullivan Stapleton (Cinemax's Strike Back) popping up every now and then as a well-intentioned playboy informer.  John Polito (Miller's Crossing - yet another superior gangster film) rounds out the notable cast as a rival gangster who gets on Cohen's bad side.

There's a number of well-staged shootouts and a solid car chase to keep one's interest afloat- though tension is at a minimum with such shallow characters.  A good 20 minutes of development spread out evenly across the principle cast (with special attention given to the camaraderie of the squad members) might have worked wonders. I could care less what may have been trimmed due to run-time concerns (a common production tactic which I feel often hurts theatrical releases) only to be reintroduced on a future Blu Ray release- I can only comment on what I paid to see in theaters. I'm a fan of this particular period of American history and film Genre, so my level of disappointment with it will probably far outweigh that of others with a passive interest.  It's about equal in overall quality to last year's Lawless.

Admittedly, it was pretty damned cool to see a nightclub act performance featuring Carmen Miranda...

6.5 out of 10