Now Playing

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week, the pulpy "Gangster Squad."

Gangster Squad
Starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Mirelle Enos, Anthony Mackie, and Giovani Ribisi
Synopsis: Some films you do for the money, others you do for passion. In looking at the finished product, it’s not hard to deduce the motivation for the cast of “Gangster Squad.” It’s prettied up, but it’s essentially a fluffy entertainment piece. On paper it seems like a winning combination. Gangster films are always a hit, and period pieces generally pack in an audience. “L.A. Confidential,” the last noir crime drama to tread over this ground, was an Academy Award winning film. But this is no “L.A. Confidential,” no matter how hard it tries to be. Director Ruben Fleischer found something winning with “Zombieland,” an action comedy that drew strong reviews and developed a cult following. But where that film has some breezy laughs mixing in with the violence, “Gangster Squad” takes itself a little too seriously. And that’s a problem. “Gangster Squad” is a fairly predictable film. It has familiar characters — more archetypes really — and a somewhat familiar story and flow. This film wants to play like a prequel to the action of “L.A. Confidential,” working hard to create that vibe, but it just doesn’t rise to that level. The script from Will Beall (“Castle”) is a little clunky — particularly when it tries to nail the period dialogue. It feels like something from a bad play at times, with famous faces offering ridiculous lines that induce unintended laughs. That is mixed with a near constant stream of violence. That includes shootouts, fights and violent acts from Cohen as he establishes he’s in charge. In fact the film opens with a rather gruesome killing that sets the tone for all that follows. What helps the film is the cast, even when they aren’t given a lot of great things to do. Penn is an incredible actor — someone who has won multiple Academy Awards. He brings a ferocity to Cohen, even when the script leaves the character a little too cartoonish to work. Penn’s performance keeps it moderately grounded and the film somewhat interesting. The same goes for Brolin and Gosling, who do a lot of the heavy lifting in the film. The plot and dialogue might stretch belief, but both actors commit to the roles. That helps keep the film somewhat interesting. Overall, “Gangster Squad” isn’t a hit but it isn’t a total miss. It suffers from some unfortunate timing due to the level of violence depicted and the cultural and political climate of our times. It’s also a film that has lofty expectations that aren’t backed up by the material. Still, it’s entertaining and the kind of film you expect to see delivered to audiences in the first month of the year. Those that believe the hype that this is the best gangster film in years will be disappointed. But those looking for a couple hours of entertainment that doesn’t require a lot of thinking could do worse than this film.
Rating: R for strong violence and language. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, January 25 — "Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters," "Movie 43," "Parker"