Sunday, February 3, 2013

Gangster Squad (2013)

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Emma Stone, Michael Pena, Robert Patrick, Giovanni Ribisi

More info: IMDb

Tagline: No names. No badges. No mercy.

Plot: Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.


My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Eh, maybe.

I just got back from a matinee show.  I had to see this before it left theatres.  The reviews weren't all that pretty but I figured it could be worth the few dollars for a ticket...and it was.  Honestly, all I wanted was a couple of hours of light entertainment from this picture and that's exactly what it delivered.  I enjoyed the cast, especially Penn and Brolin.  I didn't recognized Robert Patrick as the grizzled old gunslinger.  He was a hoot.  There are a good deal of noir-ish one-liners, shots and punch-'em-up scenes to satisfy but it's not going to fill you up like a nice stead dinner.  It's halfway between that and gangster fast food.  The script should have been stronger as should the direction.  There were some spots that needed more attention to make it feel less rushed but in all, I had a good time.  And I'm soooooo looking forward to seeing that original shootout in the movie theatre that was cut because of the DARK KNIGHT RISES mess last year.  In my mind's eye I can see that being the coolest part of the picture.

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