Given that director Ruben Fleischer’s only other well-known movie (I mean, does anyone even remember 30 Minutes or Less anymore?) begins with a zombie stripper’s breasts bouncing in slow-motion, I’m not sure who exactly felt he was the best choice to adapt Gangster Squad, a non-fiction crime novel about a very real L.A Police squad that stepped outside the law to act essentially as covertly sanctioned vigilantes to take down up and coming crime kingpin Mickey Cohen. I mean, especially given that these events really happened, you’d think the people involved in the production would want someone who could bring the most possible tact and realism to the story, otherwise something disastrous could happen, like someone’s granddaughter writing a viral blog post about how Hollywood turned her granddad’s life into an insipid popcorn movie with all the tact and realism of a Bugs Bunny cartoon and the movie overall being a disastrous failure both critically and commercially.
But someone behind a desk thought that was an acceptable risk and thank GOD they did, because Gangster Squad isn’t just an insipid popcorn movie, it’s the most entertainingly insipid popcorn movie in years. Due largely to the fact that nobody on the cast and crew seems to have any idea that what they’re making is basically a Sin City sequel in full color, and they’re all playing everything so adorably straight. It isn’t just camp, it’s the best kind of camp, the kind that has NO clue that it even IS camp. The whole movie plays out like a parody of itself, a laundry list of cliches and ham and it expects us to take it all seriously, which ends up making it honestly one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years.
Read the full review here
http://www.forgetthebox.net/gangster-squad-unintentional-camp-at-its-finest/
Glossy, slick, bloody, violent, dumb, crowd-pleasing, and undeniably entertaining. Filled with every gangster genre cliche rolled into one, Gangster Squad ain't high art, nor is it aiming to be. It seemed as if director Fleischer was trying to tell this story in the most fun possible way, and he succeeds with flying colors. The film is at its best when its loud and dumb but falters when it tries to be anything more than that.
The cast seems like they're having fun, especially Sean Penn who has a field day with his role as the villain Mickey Cohen. The lines he's given are pure gold. Josh Brolin does a great job as the lead and Ryan Gosling is charming and charismatic as usual. However, Emma Stone is underused with a thankless role, but it's nice that she's in the film anyway. Overall, Gangster Squad is fun entertainment. No judgments, little pretense. 7/10
Could have been much, much better. There's an interesting moral dilemma that runs through the movie with cops going far outside the boundaries of the law to get results, but it never delves into those dilemmas wholeheartedly. There are a few pieces of dialog to suggest that what the main characters are doing is essentially wrong however necessary, but decides to jump to the next shootout or chase scene before any deeper emotion arises. Many of the actors give wooden performances but probably none more so than Sean Penn as out-of-control mobster Mickey Cohen. Penn plays a violent, cursing psychopath with all the excitement of a cardboard standee of a mobster holding a machine gun.
At the beginning of the movie you can read the statement: "Inspired by true events". Well, it should have said: "Inspired by the far superior 'The Untouchables' ". I can't think of any other movie set in the 40s with such a generic look and it's probably due to the eye melting photography. Dull dialogue from beginning to the end, with none original characters and a couple of roles that could have easily been left out of the story. Some good acting and a few well directed scenes save this movie from being total garbage.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 32
God
Perfect if you just want to fap to Ryan Gosling.meerkate
Penn as Cohen ruined the entire movie for me.Emiam
7/10Stylish true-based gangster movie. No masterpiece, but clearly exciting.
ThomasFTB
Given that director Ruben Fleischer’s only other well-known movie (I mean, does anyone even remember 30 Minutes or Less anymore?) begins with a zombie stripper’s breasts bouncing in slow-motion, I’m not sure who exactly felt he was the best choice to adapt Gangster Squad, a non-fiction crime novel about a very real L.A Police squad that stepped outside the law to act essentially as covertly sanctioned vigilantes to take down up and coming crime kingpin Mickey Cohen. I mean, especially given that these events really happened, you’d think the people involved in the production would want someone who could bring the most possible tact and realism to the story, otherwise something disastrous could happen, like someone’s granddaughter writing a viral blog post about how Hollywood turned her granddad’s life into an insipid popcorn movie with all the tact and realism of a Bugs Bunny cartoon and the movie overall being a disastrous failure both critically and commercially.But someone behind a desk thought that was an acceptable risk and thank GOD they did, because Gangster Squad isn’t just an insipid popcorn movie, it’s the most entertainingly insipid popcorn movie in years. Due largely to the fact that nobody on the cast and crew seems to have any idea that what they’re making is basically a Sin City sequel in full color, and they’re all playing everything so adorably straight. It isn’t just camp, it’s the best kind of camp, the kind that has NO clue that it even IS camp. The whole movie plays out like a parody of itself, a laundry list of cliches and ham and it expects us to take it all seriously, which ends up making it honestly one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years.
Read the full review here
http://www.forgetthebox.net/gangster-squad-unintentional-camp-at-its-finest/
Ralf
The mother of all ham sandwiches.Jook
Cliche-ridden, unrealistic, poorly scripted, terribly directed... but quite fun. I'd never watch it again but I was never bored.moviewizguy
Glossy, slick, bloody, violent, dumb, crowd-pleasing, and undeniably entertaining. Filled with every gangster genre cliche rolled into one, Gangster Squad ain't high art, nor is it aiming to be. It seemed as if director Fleischer was trying to tell this story in the most fun possible way, and he succeeds with flying colors. The film is at its best when its loud and dumb but falters when it tries to be anything more than that.The cast seems like they're having fun, especially Sean Penn who has a field day with his role as the villain Mickey Cohen. The lines he's given are pure gold. Josh Brolin does a great job as the lead and Ryan Gosling is charming and charismatic as usual. However, Emma Stone is underused with a thankless role, but it's nice that she's in the film anyway. Overall, Gangster Squad is fun entertainment. No judgments, little pretense. 7/10
Aeon Rio
1. Emma looked fabulous2. Loved Josh Brolin
3. What the fuck was wrong with Ryan's voice?
4. I have no doubt about Sean's acting skill but he didn't look good in the role. Director's fault maybe?
Pete Concrete
Highly entertaining, a movie for true lovers of cinema! Penn was also good as the slighly cartoonish crime lord.lmkmoviemaniac
A standard Cops vs Gangster saga which entertains the action buffs. The generous star power in the movie helps.But it is template stuff which is predictable and can be seen just once.
The period detailing is good and the dedication to the city of Los Angeles in the end is a nice finishing touch.
DisneyStitch
Could have been much, much better. There's an interesting moral dilemma that runs through the movie with cops going far outside the boundaries of the law to get results, but it never delves into those dilemmas wholeheartedly. There are a few pieces of dialog to suggest that what the main characters are doing is essentially wrong however necessary, but decides to jump to the next shootout or chase scene before any deeper emotion arises. Many of the actors give wooden performances but probably none more so than Sean Penn as out-of-control mobster Mickey Cohen. Penn plays a violent, cursing psychopath with all the excitement of a cardboard standee of a mobster holding a machine gun.stexdo
At the beginning of the movie you can read the statement: "Inspired by true events". Well, it should have said: "Inspired by the far superior 'The Untouchables' ". I can't think of any other movie set in the 40s with such a generic look and it's probably due to the eye melting photography. Dull dialogue from beginning to the end, with none original characters and a couple of roles that could have easily been left out of the story. Some good acting and a few well directed scenes save this movie from being total garbage.lekast
when Sean Penn wanna be De Niro...it is a joke.Warrison
really enjoyed this. the main protagonist is a real piece of work.Earring72
This Untouchables wannabe was dissapointing. Looks great and some good action scenes but script was a let down. Despite all the mayhem, kinda boring.Showing items 1 – 15 of 32