“Gangster Squad” has the makings of a must-see movie. It boasts the cool factor of being a gangster movie set in the ’40s, it’s inspired by a real-life story, and it features an A-list ensemble including Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Mireille Enos.
Gangster Squad Review
Somewhere in this hyper-stylized actioner are remnants of some previously-conceived film, a better movie that feels as if it has been methodically stripped down over time, losing the pulpiness of the genre to the video game culture, with action sequences grasping for the audiences’ attention with flash-editing and slow-mo punching and shooting. While it may suit Guy Ritchie’s films, those contemporary stylizations are obtrusive when combined with the 1940s period sets, hammy dialogue and decadent costumes.
Gangster Squad trailer
Gangster Squad photos
