Gangster Squad Review

Gangster Squad

3.5 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

I really won't understand the negative reviews for Gangster Squad. This is one of the most exciting and entertaining moviegoing experiences you'll have all year.

The plot is rather straightforward and simple. The year is 1949 and the place is seedy Los Angeles. Inspired by a true story, Gangster Squad focuses upon the ruthless Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). He's the horrifically powerful gangster-mobster who runs the streets of L.A. He controls all the drug and crime trades. He's found ways to manipulate the city's citizens and law enforcement so that no one dare get in his way. However, one brave sergeant named John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) wants justice served and will stop at nothing to end Cohen's reign of terror. O'Mara then assembles a squad of tough and brave men -- including the hesitant Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) -- to help take down Cohen and restore peace to the city.

Gangster Squad isn't trying to be some artistic masterpiece. It's simply trying to deliver the goods -- action, violence, and mayhem -- and often succeeds. It's a fun popcorn flick. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Director Ruben Fleischer stages the insane amount of action in a coherent and stylish way. He takes advantage of slick choreography and occasional special effects -- such as slow-motion -- to form thrilling set pieces. Even though the film is filled with set piece after set piece, the action is never numbing or repetitive. It's always exciting and truly enhances the grittiness of the era. I commend Fleischer for having a keen knack for action, momentum, and visuals.

Speaking of visuals, Gangster Squad's production design, art direction, and costuming is stunning. The film always feels authentic and alive. Each set constructed and each wardrobe chosen enhances the sense of noir mood and style. Accentuating the look of the film is Dion Beebe's gorgeous cinematography. His lighting, framing, and composition is always spot-on and entirely beautiful to behold.

Even though the action and visuals are impressive, the greatest aspect of this film is the ensemble cast. Josh Brolin is great with his steely intensity and believable honorability. Sean Penn goes to the extremes in each scene but never goes too far over-the-top. It seems like he's having fun being this ridiculous villain, and he revels in the evilness. While some are complaining about Ryan Gosling's performance, he truly is the best actor in the whole film. It's an unusual performance -- with Gosling utilizing his pip-squeaky voice and stripping himself of cool, bad-boy vibes -- but that's why it's so impressive. And even though it's an uncharacteristic performance for him, Gosling still owns each scene with his charisma, charm, and commitment.

The supporting cast is uniformly great, despite lack of deep characterization. Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, Robert Patrick, and Giovanni Ribisi are all in fine form here as the members of the Gangster Squad. They each have their moments to shine and truly add some heft to what could have been some forgettable stock characters. Nick Nolte brings gravitas to the film as the chief who overlooks the squad's operations. Mireille Enos is lovely as O'Mara's wife. And last but not least, Emma Stone is solid as Grace Faraday, Cohen's girlfriend and Wooter's lover. However, Grace is the weakest character in the film. Stone is underutilized, as her character isn't well fleshed out. And Grace's relationship with Wooters is nice but not quite believable. Kudos to Gosling and Stone for making the most out of the relationship and really trying to sell it, but their romance isn't really developed well. Too bad because it's one of the most intriguing aspects of the film, and we know how well Gosling and Stone could have sold the love. (If you haven't seen these two in Crazy, Stupid, Love. yet, then you must). 

Gangster Squad is cool, slick, stylish, and beautiful. It takes you on a fun and wild ride and boasts excellent performances. Most importantly, it's a hell of a lot of fun. Don't listen to the haters, and don't expect Gangster Squad to be a deep movie. Just take it as it is, and get ready to have a blast. Three and a half stars out of four.