Review of Gangster Squad (2013) by Sgt. C — 30 Mar 2014

You can get through this if you take it for what it is: some guy had a hard-on writing about tough cops taking down a tough gangster. That doesn't mean it's in any way plausible or realistic.

Great cast and I bought it for $2 so I had to watch it. The director has made some movies I enjoyed, and really, the direction is not terrible here. There are some nice shots and nice effects. It's the writing that is lame, and maybe some of the acting, but I think that's a mirror of the writing in this case: good actors having to play terribly inflated egos.

Gosling and Stone had great chemistry in Crazy, Stupid Love. They look good together in this but it's not nearly the same. Penn has been great but it over the top here. Brolin can be good but he was pretty run of the mill in this.

Nothing to take from this movie and, again, it's not overly plausible. I suppose it made for a decent summer action movie for those who get a hard-on for old gangster flicks. I'm not one of them, but I suppose a line or two in there was okay.