MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1: GANGSTER SQUAD
"If they had rap groups back then, this is how we would have lined up for our album cover!" Officer Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), Officer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) and Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) line up for duty in a scene from director Ruben Fleischer's GANGSTER SQUAD. Credit: Wilson Webb © 2012 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Giovani Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick and Mireille Enos
WRITER(S): Will Beall (screenplay); Paul Lieberman (book, "Gangster Squad")
DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer
WEB SITE: http://gangstersquad.warnerbros.com/
THE PLOT: Inspired by true events (but how much so requires further research), Gangster Squad stars Josh Brolin as Sgt. John O'Mara, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department living in 1949 still looking to shake the battles of World War II. A dedicated and decorated officer, O'Mara's pregnant wife (Mireille Enos) is as faithful and dedicated to her man as her man is headstrong, which is to say very. Fellow L.A. P.D. detective Sgt. Wooters (Ryan Gosling) is a bit more interested in having a good time, however, which is why he's got his eyes on the alluring Gracie (Emma Stone), a regular at Slapsy Maxie's, a popular L.A. nightspot where plenty of big fish can be found hanging around the pond.
Problem is, however, that big pond is run by Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), a former boxer-turned-gangster who is looking to own not only Los Angeles, but the entire West Coast as well. But LAPD Chief Parker (Nick Nolte) isn't just going to let that happen – and that's where O'Mara comes in.
Hand-picked to lead the fight against Cohen, O'Mara recruits a strong crew – Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), Wooters, Officer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) and Officer Conrad Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) – to take on the notorious gangster. But are they up to the task to stop a would-be criminal kingpin? Only history knows the outcome ...
Problem is, however, that big pond is run by Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), a former boxer-turned-gangster who is looking to own not only Los Angeles, but the entire West Coast as well. But LAPD Chief Parker (Nick Nolte) isn't just going to let that happen – and that's where O'Mara comes in.
Hand-picked to lead the fight against Cohen, O'Mara recruits a strong crew – Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña), Wooters, Officer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) and Officer Conrad Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) – to take on the notorious gangster. But are they up to the task to stop a would-be criminal kingpin? Only history knows the outcome ...
THE TAKE: A gangster-paint-by-numbers ... Mediocre but entertaining ... Interesting but not completely fulfilling ...
Whatever term you would use you describe Gangster Squad, a film which feels perfect for re-runs on TNT's old "Movies for Guys Who Like Movies" programming due to a steady mix of guns, brawn and catchphrases. It's entertaining in spades when the gun play is blazing, the testosterone is on full tilt and director Ruben Fleischer drops in Matrix/Max Payne-style cutscenes in between the two. That being said, Gangster Squad really lacks anything unique or memorable about it whatsoever to be memorable once you leave the theater – especially since it plays so heavy in clichés.
Whereas Josh Brolin is strong jawed as can be as the do the right thing at all costs cop, Gosling seems to be channeling in his inner Bradley Cooper on Hangover-mode repeat as an over-the-top playboy with a heart of gold. While Pena and Mackie fill in the ethnic good guys roles, Ribisi fills in the (spoiler alert) role with Patrick filling in the other (spoiler alert) role. Stone isn't given much to do other than be the damsel in distress caught between the good guy and the bad guy – and Penn is the main compelling element of the film given that he's at least 100 percent committed to being an epic level-bad guy.
Long story short, while the scenes are done well for the most part, they are fairly standard issue gangster movie scenes. Nothing about them is super fancy, innovative or particularly creative, nor is the general nature of the film. It's just cops and robbers, good vs. evil, crime doesn't pay, hero gets the girl, etc. ... It's just a standard issue, wanna be-noir film that's not as big as the sum of its individual players. Even the title is generic – sure, this is a "gangster squad" ... But what's unique about them? Not a damn thing – and that's the true crime to which the film doesn't bring justice.
Whatever term you would use you describe Gangster Squad, a film which feels perfect for re-runs on TNT's old "Movies for Guys Who Like Movies" programming due to a steady mix of guns, brawn and catchphrases. It's entertaining in spades when the gun play is blazing, the testosterone is on full tilt and director Ruben Fleischer drops in Matrix/Max Payne-style cutscenes in between the two. That being said, Gangster Squad really lacks anything unique or memorable about it whatsoever to be memorable once you leave the theater – especially since it plays so heavy in clichés.
Whereas Josh Brolin is strong jawed as can be as the do the right thing at all costs cop, Gosling seems to be channeling in his inner Bradley Cooper on Hangover-mode repeat as an over-the-top playboy with a heart of gold. While Pena and Mackie fill in the ethnic good guys roles, Ribisi fills in the (spoiler alert) role with Patrick filling in the other (spoiler alert) role. Stone isn't given much to do other than be the damsel in distress caught between the good guy and the bad guy – and Penn is the main compelling element of the film given that he's at least 100 percent committed to being an epic level-bad guy.
Long story short, while the scenes are done well for the most part, they are fairly standard issue gangster movie scenes. Nothing about them is super fancy, innovative or particularly creative, nor is the general nature of the film. It's just cops and robbers, good vs. evil, crime doesn't pay, hero gets the girl, etc. ... It's just a standard issue, wanna be-noir film that's not as big as the sum of its individual players. Even the title is generic – sure, this is a "gangster squad" ... But what's unique about them? Not a damn thing – and that's the true crime to which the film doesn't bring justice.
PARTING SHOT: Gangster Squad is entertaining enough ... But it's almost criminal how mediocre the finished product is given the potential.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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