Movie Review: Gangster Squad (2013)

 

Gangster Squad (2013)

A Movie Review by Dave Randal 

Genre: Action | Crime | Drama

Cast: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Writers: Will Beall, Paul Lieberman(book)

Studios: Village Roadshow Pictures

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: January 11, 2013

Plot: Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.

Gangster movies are one of my favorite genres.  There is just something about them that I really like.  This might make me look like a total geek but screw it, I even like the Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action" where they go to a planet with Earth-like 1920s gangster culture. When I first saw the trailer for Gangster Squad I instantly got excited.  I mean it has three of the best actors working today in Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling.  I think because of who was in it I was expecting a little bit more from it than what I saw.

Movie Trailer: Gangster Squad (2013)

 

I'm pretty sure most people have already heard about this movie, but I figured I'd put up the trailer anyway.  This was suppose to come out back in September, but it was pushed back to January of 2013 due to a scene showing gangsters shooting people in a movie theater.  From a publicity standpoint that was probably the right move considering the horrible event that happened in Colorado.

This is easily one of my most anticipated movies to come out in January.  It has a very similar plot to an older movie called Mulholland Falls (1996).  Both movies are loosely based on true events surrounding the infamous LAPD "Hat Squad".  Mulholland Falls starred Nick Nolte as the leader of the squad.  This time around in Gangster Squad though Nick Nolte plays the police chief.  Seeing Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Gosling in the cast gives me a lot of hope for this movie.  

Watch the trailer below.