Review of Gangster Squad (2013) by Nathanael E — 09 Dec 2013

So-so. Feels like a bad attempt at a James Cagney ripoff, with a bit of LA Confidential and The Untouchables thrown in. Yep, not at all original. Plus, it's more style than substance - flashy action scenes, over-the-top violence, cliched dialogue and plot.

Performances are varied in quality. Josh Brolin is decent in the lead role, though he probably gets the bulk of the cliched lines. Sean Penn, for all his incredible acting talent, is quite unconvincing as the head gangster. Crime-drama is probably not his strongest suit. Ryan Gosling is quite weak in his role. Emma Stone and Nick Nolte give solid performances in reasonably minor roles.

Despite all its obvious weaknesses, is reasonably entertaining, especially if you don't want to have to engage your brain.