Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Written by Will Beall and Paul Lieberman (book). Starring Sean Penn (Mikey Cohen), Ryan Gosling (Sgt. Jerry Wooters), Emma Stone (Grace Faraday), Josh Brolin (Sgt. John O'Mara).
Bottom line: Gosling's dreaminess isn't enough to save what becomes a "just another crime movie": it has been done before but, unfortunately, doesn't bring anything new to the table.
2/4
When I saw the trailer for Gangster Squad, I let out a sigh because I was torn. On one hand, I didn't want to dismiss what looked like a cookie cutter gangster movie and, on the other...well, it looked like a cookie cutter gangster movie. I suppose a good thing it had going for it (which was also a bad sign for the movie as a whole) was the presence of Ryan Gosling. I tried my best to dismiss my preconceived notions as I watched it (if, for no other reason, this review).
Gangster Squad is a movie that feels very much like it was adapted from a book and if a movie feels that way, you know something is up. It opens and closes with the same monologue, in the hopes, I suspect, to make a cinematic moment. Unfortunately, this fails because the rest of the movie fails. It feels more cliche than anything; a sentiment that accurately describes the movie.
I was discussing my thoughts with a friend recently and my bottom line was something along the lines of, why would I go see this movie when I could just as well see The Untouchables? Both are dealing with organized crime about the same time and the ramshackle team assembled by a hardworking honest cop (among other similarities which I will mention).
"What makes The Untouchables so different from Gangster Squad," I was asked. Is The Untouchables such a ground breaking film? Heavens no, it is a simple action movie. It feels a little sophomoric to say "Well, the action in The Untouchables was better which makes it a better movie." After all, big explosions does not a good movie make. So, let me think about why this type of formula is good in one instance and not the other.
Consider, the main henchman, he is a big guy with a scarred white eye. He becomes a video game mini-boss by pulling out duel tommy guns. This, I believe is an indication of why Gangster Squad isn't successful. I mentioned above that The Untouchables had better action, not more, but better. There is substance which Gangster Squad lacks. Take the famous train station scene in The Untouchables as an example. A criminal is holding the key witness hostage. Holding the gun to the witness' head, the criminal yell 'The accountant and I are getting in a car and are driving away. On the count of three, I am going to blow him away.' A cop suddenly lets out a single shot to kill the criminal. The focus is not on the shot itself but the significance of that single shot. Gangster Squad emphasizes gun fights and we lose sight of the point. It feels like there is a fear that without massive gun battles, the audience would be disinterested and it cheapens the experience.
Overall, Gangster Squad isn't anything to write home about. It's like having the choice between a McDonald's cheeseburger or a well-made burger. Gangster Squad isn't new nor is it even good at being cliche. Pass on this and see something worthwhile.
I was discussing my thoughts with a friend recently and my bottom line was something along the lines of, why would I go see this movie when I could just as well see The Untouchables? Both are dealing with organized crime about the same time and the ramshackle team assembled by a hardworking honest cop (among other similarities which I will mention).
"What makes The Untouchables so different from Gangster Squad," I was asked. Is The Untouchables such a ground breaking film? Heavens no, it is a simple action movie. It feels a little sophomoric to say "Well, the action in The Untouchables was better which makes it a better movie." After all, big explosions does not a good movie make. So, let me think about why this type of formula is good in one instance and not the other.
Consider, the main henchman, he is a big guy with a scarred white eye. He becomes a video game mini-boss by pulling out duel tommy guns. This, I believe is an indication of why Gangster Squad isn't successful. I mentioned above that The Untouchables had better action, not more, but better. There is substance which Gangster Squad lacks. Take the famous train station scene in The Untouchables as an example. A criminal is holding the key witness hostage. Holding the gun to the witness' head, the criminal yell 'The accountant and I are getting in a car and are driving away. On the count of three, I am going to blow him away.' A cop suddenly lets out a single shot to kill the criminal. The focus is not on the shot itself but the significance of that single shot. Gangster Squad emphasizes gun fights and we lose sight of the point. It feels like there is a fear that without massive gun battles, the audience would be disinterested and it cheapens the experience.
Overall, Gangster Squad isn't anything to write home about. It's like having the choice between a McDonald's cheeseburger or a well-made burger. Gangster Squad isn't new nor is it even good at being cliche. Pass on this and see something worthwhile.
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