Review of Gangster Squad (2013) by Eero V — 28 Dec 2014

Despite its big-name cast and an intriguing premise, Gangster Squad is a ponderous waste of time for the audiences as well as the crew behind it, and confirms director Ruben Fleischer as a one-trick pony (his debut was the fair zombie comedy Zombieland).

Will Beall's screenplay (which is his debut) is all over the place, as the film tries to be an action film, a moving drama and a buddy comedy at the same time, and is full of cringe-inducing dialogue; the characters are all hackneyed caricatures; the action looks cheap and is so loud I had to cover my precious ears half of the running time; and the performances are completely third-rate.

Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Nick Nolte all phone it in, Sean Penn overacts his heart out but doesn't even evoke laughter, and Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie and Giovanni Ribisi all look uncomfortable and desperate to be somewhere else.

The only notable thing about this turd is that due to the 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the filmmakers had to censor a scene in which the characters are shooting at a movie theater; this once again showcases the cowardice of Hollywood.

For the rest, Gangster Squad is a horrific failure that flushes all creativity and potential down the toilet. It's a terrible thing to do to your eyes, ears and brain, and should have been released straight to DVD.