Gangster Squad is one of the many films
of 2013 that will hit theaters after being delayed from their
original intended release date for various reasons. In the case of
Gangster Squad, it was pushed back from its September 2012 date
following the Aurora shootings last July. The first trailer for the
film, which originally debuted last May, was pulled from theaters due
to a scene where gunmen fired upon a crowd in a theater, so the crew
went back for re-shoots and a new scene in Chinatown was put in the
place of the theater scene. But what about the film itself? Well, as
a whole, it's an entertaining gangster film but there are a few
glaring problems with the movie, namely the writing in regards to
character development.
In 1948, post-WWII Los Angeles is under
the tight control of ex-boxer turned gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean
Penn), who has a firm grip on the underworld of the city, and even a
couple members of the city's police, meaning that the LAPD has no way
of stopping him. With nowhere else to go, Chief Bill Parker (Nick
Nolte) enlists Sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to form a secret
team of cops with the intent of stopping Cohen. Along with fellow
Sergeant Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), Mara enlists Detectives
Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi), Max
Kennard (Robert Patrick), and Navidad Ramirez (Michael Pena) as
members of 'the Gangster Squad', an off-the-books team with the goal
of taking out Cohen before he expands his criminal enterprise.
There's no denying that this film has a
distinct visual style, but that comes at the price of some weak
writing, primarily when it comes to character development. While this
movie is supposed to be focused on the Gangster Squad, the fact of
the matter is that only Brolin and Gosling's characters are the only
two that the movie actually focuses on. Mackie, Ribisi, Patrick, and
Pena are left in the dust except for one distinguishable character
trait for each of them. Harris throws knives, Keeler's the tech guy,
Kennard's the old gunslinger, and Ramirez is Kennard's partner. On
the other side of the spectrum, we have O'Mara, the hard-working,
no-nonsense cop and Wooters, the wise-cracking playboy who soon has
to 'grow up' when the going gets tough. They're the only two
characters of the Gangster Squad who get any real character
development.
But that doesn't mean this movie is
bad. For one thing, despite some weak character development, the film
does have a solid cast behind it, from Brolin to Gosling to Emma
Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen's etiquette tutor and 'lover' who soon
becomes involved with Gosling's character as well. Like in 'Crazy,
Stupid Love', Gosling and Stone work well together and have great
chemistry. That is enough to ignore the fact that Stone's character
also falls victim to poor character development, really being nothing
more than just a damsel in distress. Of course, we can't forget Sean
Penn as the sadistic mob leader Mickey Cohen, and yes, Penn does have
quite the presence in this role and does steal the spotlight whenever
he's on screen. Because this is such a good cast, their camaraderie
is the greatest aspect of the whole movie.
In the end, 'Gangster Squad' is a
pretty entertaining movie if you can ignore the rather weak
writing/character development. I won't go as far as say it's
completely style over substance, but believe me when I say it almost
reaches that level. The characters of O'Mara and Wooters are the only
members of the actual Gangster Squad that actually get any real
character development while the other members aren't so lucky. That
does make me rather worried about a certain upcoming movie with a
large cast because the writer of this film is writing that film as
well. All I can say is that I would be worried, DC Comics fans. But
still, director Ruben Fleischer's first foray into action, having
previously helmed two comedies, is an enjoyable popcorn flick.
Rating: 3.5/5
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