Review of Gangster Squad (2013) by Spangle — 22 May 2016

I really liked Gangster Squad, which surprised me given the poor reviews. Beautifully shot with fantastic cinematography, Gangster Squad is an impeccably stylish and well put together gangster flick. With good turns from its impressive cast, Gangster Squad matches its good actors with a compelling plot that keeps you hooked with its real life basis.

The characters are hit-and-miss (Emma Stone's character in particular is a miss), but otherwise, I thought they were well crafted or at least satisfyingly so compared to other movies out there nowadays.

The action is well shot and the violence is nowhere near as bad as some critics would have you think. While not as good as classic noirs or modern day takes on the genre, Gangster Squad is a flashy, lavishly shot gangster film that satisfies the eyes more than the mind, but that is okay in my book given its good pacing, compelling story, and again, its over-abundance of style.