With the alluring tag line of ‘No names No badges No mercy’, Gangster Squad (2013) directed by Ruben Fleischer had all the makings of a fantastic, hard-hitting action/crime film with the added bonus of possessing a remarkably talented cast. Yet, what had all the promise of something you could really get stuck into, suffered heavily from under-developed characters and frankly, poor dialogue.
The film is set in the 1940/50’s and centers on the story of a group of LAPD officers and detectives who form a group called the ‘Gangster Squad Unit’, to battle crime boss Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) without being restricted to federal laws. Teaming up to keep the streets of Los Angeles squeaky clean, (or very bloody – you decide) are Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) - the head of the Los Angeles Police Department and police officer and Parker’s old friend Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin). Together, they recruit Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) and a bunch of other detectives for their initially poor thought out plot. Emma Stone also features in the movie as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s girlfriend.
The main problem that arises with the film is that it could have, and should have been so much more. The stylish flick is portrayed perfectly adequately on screen, but that’s where the praise ends. Although featuring enough violence to keep thrill junkies pleased, there should have been some serious further developments with the characters, as even the extremely talented cast are given very little to work with, and unfortunately you would be forgiven for remembering very little about the characters themselves, and you will probably be left wondering a bit more about their ‘story’ – (a mutual feeling that I’m sure is shared by the actors as well). After all, with the likes of Brolin who portrayed a young Agent K in the most recent installment of Men In Black 3 wonderfully, and Stone and Gosling, who steamed onto the screens with their passionate embrace in Crazy, Stupid Love, this really should have been one to watch. Instead Stone/Gosling do nothing but fizzle on screen, and the entire cast’s talents are ultimately wasted.
Although the action and chase sequences are impressive, it is reminiscent of the phrase 'all style, no substance' and does nothing to draw away from the fact that you will most likely leave the cinema feeling disappointed. If you had high expectations for a suave, sultry, yet gritty, action packed crime thriller that has charm and scenes to die for, whilst still featuring your favorite actors, you will be thoroughly disappointed and I would suggest you look elsewhere. Gangster Squad is not necessarily a ‘bad movie’ but I think the expectations were so high and the film failed to meet the standard - perhaps one day a piece will come along that actually uses the actor’s talents.
Although the action and chase sequences are impressive, it is reminiscent of the phrase 'all style, no substance' and does nothing to draw away from the fact that you will most likely leave the cinema feeling disappointed. If you had high expectations for a suave, sultry, yet gritty, action packed crime thriller that has charm and scenes to die for, whilst still featuring your favorite actors, you will be thoroughly disappointed and I would suggest you look elsewhere. Gangster Squad is not necessarily a ‘bad movie’ but I think the expectations were so high and the film failed to meet the standard - perhaps one day a piece will come along that actually uses the actor’s talents.
2.5 stars
Reviewed by Mel.
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