Gangster Squad Review

Rated R (Strong Violence and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 53 Minutes

Cast-

Josh Brolin-Sergeant John O'Mara

Ryan Gosling-Sergeant Jerry Wooters

Robert Patrick-Detective Max Kennard

Anthony Mackie-Detective Coleman Harris

Michael Peña-Detective Navidad Ramirez

Giovanni Ribisi-Detective Conway Keeler

Emma Stone-Grace Faraday

Sean Penn-Mickey Cohen

Nick Nolte-LAPD Chief William 'Bill' Parker

James Carpinello-Johnny Stompanato

Jon Polito-Jack Dragna

Wade Williams-Rourke

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

All the gangsters say cheese!

Note: Screened on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.

Originally set to be released last September, Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad" was delayed by Warner Brothers for an additional three months in the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado in order to reshoot a key scene that 'might' have been too controversial for sensitive viewers. Now why did I put 'might' in quotes? What happened last summer was terrible but the reactions that followed were nothing short of ridiculous as once again Hollywood came under intense scrutiny for 'encouraging' violent behavior through their films even though it's been proven time and again that there's no link between the two. As America mourned the victims of the shooting, Warner Brothers went into full damage control mode, cancelling the remaining premieres for "The Dark Knight Rises" and pulling the trailers for "Gangster Squad" as one of the film's action set-pieces took place in a theater where a group of mobsters burst in and began firing on the audience. The studio ultimately decided to cut and reshoot the 'offending' scene, a move that I (and many others) was vehemently opposed to because it was a form of self-censorship in which Warner Brothers threw in the towel to avoid upsetting 'some' viewers. Here's a solution for those people: don't watch the film. "Gangster Squad" finally arrives into theaters in the dead month of January, by far the worst time to open a new movie but Fleischer's film appears to buck that trend given the impressive cast he's gathered. While "Gangster Squad" features some impeccable production design, the film is unfortunately all style and no substance, marred by the lack of a compelling script and one-dimensional characters. 

The year: 1949. The city: Los Angeles. Gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has become one of the most powerful figures in the criminal underworld. Despite being involved in the drug and sex trades, witnesses are too afraid to testify against him as over half the police force and the politicians are in his pocket. Yet Cohen isn't satisfied. He wants more and vows that nothing will stand in his way of 'progress.' With the City of Angels turned into a warzone and innocent civilians being caught in the crossfire, LAPD Chief William 'Bill' Parker (Nick Nolte) enlists the aid of honest cop Sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) for a secret assignment: recruit a squad of police officers and do whatever it takes to bring Cohen down. With the help of his wife Connie (Mireille Enos), O'Mara recruits fellow war veteran and womanizer Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), street-smart cop Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), sharpshooter Max Kennard (Robert Patrick) and his partner Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), and skilled wire-tapper Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) as his team, known as the 'Gangster Squad.' They begin by hitting Cohen's illegal operations, one-by-one, but the mission is complicated when Wooters falls in love with Cohen's top gal, Grace Faraday (Emma Stone). 

Loosely based on Paul Lieberman's 2012 true crime novel of the same name, "Gangster Squad" purports to be a 'true story' but this label is nothing more than a misnomer. Yes, there was a gangster named Mickey Cohen (although he bore no resemblance to Sean Penn) but he was not brought to justice in a fist fight. Instead, it was tax evasion that finally landed him in prison. Director Ruben Fleischer made his feature film debut with 2009's critically-acclaimed "Zombieland" but since then, he's been unable to make lightning strike twice as his follow-up, 2011's "30 Minutes or Less," received mixed reviews. This downward trend continues with "Gangster Squad," a film that exudes the pulpy, film noir style of the late-1940's thanks to Maher Ahmad's sumptuous production design yet behind its glossy veneer is a generic shoot-'em-up filled with one-dimensional characters. Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling receive perfunctory subplots but they're either too clichéd or too underdeveloped to make an impression. Everyone else is largely identified by one-note personalities and their skill-set. The story is simply an excuse to string together a few loud action scenes and what's disappointing is that the moral grey area inhabited by O'Mara's team goes unaddressed except for one throwaway scene. Ribisi's Conway Keeler wonders out loud if they're any different from the mobsters they go after due to their increasingly violent methods but O'Mara shoots him down, saying that 'it's the only way.' It doesn't help that O'Mara frequently charges in with guns blazing without thinking of the collateral damage or performing any actual detective work (besides wire-tapping). The action set-pieces offer up some mild thrills with its excessive violence and Tommy Guns but Fleischer relies on some indulgent visuals a little too much. Bullets flying in slow motion end up being more distracting rather than adding to the scene. That's ultimately "Gangster Squad" in a nutshell, a bloody cops-and-robbers film that has its moments but fails to give audiences anything of real substance. 

The cast is certainly high-profile given its January release yet it's clear that everyone involved knew that this film was going to be a lark and adjust their performances accordingly. Josh Brolin gets to pummel a few guys but is otherwise stuck with a permanent grimace on his face. Ryan Gosling turns on the charm and is the closest thing to being a three-dimensional character, as Wooters initially turns down O'Mara's offer, having resigned himself to the fact that Los Angeles will forever remain a cesspool of crime. He only accepts when a friend of his is caught in the crossfire during a gangland shooting. Emma Stone is little more than the damsel-in-distress but exudes such a Golden Age, femme fatale sex appeal. Finally, there's Sean Penn, who goes way over-the-top with his scenery-chewing performance as Mickey Cohen, complete with a prosthetic nose and sprouting lines like 'My whole crop of cunts got ruined.' Penn is fun to watch and even gets a "Scarface" moment but like everything else about this film, it's hard to take seriously. Rounding out the cast is Nick Nolte, who's barely decipherable with his overly gruff voice, Robert Patrick as a gun-slinging detective, Giovanni Ribisi as the team's tech expert, with Anthony Mackie and Michael Peña providing backup, although the two have barely any dialogue. 

Released on January 11, 2013, "Gangster Squad" has received negative reviews with 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it was 'stylish and features a talented cast [but the film] suffers from lackluster writing, underdeveloped characters, and an excessive amount of violence.' Warner Brothers has put together a solid marketing campaign so it's guaranteed to have a decent opening weekend in the $20 to $25 million range. Audience reaction at the screening on Wednesday was positive, although it feels like people would applaud anything nowadays. If you're looking for cheap thrills, "Gangster Squad" will satisfy but anyone expecting another "L.A. Confidential" or "The Untouchables" will come away disappointed with Fleischer's latest film.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"I'm not an educated man, but I've read some history. Every kingdom comes of blood, every castle's built on a pile of bones. When I came out here, L.A. was nothin'. Back east I was a gangster...out here, I'm God."