Movie Reaction: Gangster Squad

Formula: The Untouchables in Los Angeles

Cast: You almost have to wonder how they got everyone on board for this. I don't want to say this movie followed a formula, but this'll sum it up"

• Sean Penn - Terry Benedict
• Josh Brolin - Danny Ocean
• Ryan Gosling - Rusty Ryan
• Emma Stone - Tess Ocean
• Giovanni Ribisi - Livingston Dell
• Nick Nolte - Reuben Tishkoff
• Robert Patrick -  Saul Bloom
• Michael Peña - Linus Caldwell

Ok, it's not a perfect match on all accounts and I left out Anthony Mackie since it's a much more violent movie and he doesn't fit the bill for the rest of the Ocean's crew (and no, I'm not going to call him an amalgam of Bernie Mac and Don Cheadle). Regardless of the movie itself, this is one hell of a solid cast full of people all capable of being the lead.


Plot: Much like Lawless, this is another movie somewhat ruined by Contemporary American Poultry. I like the gangster genre though and with the aforementioned cast I can't completely fault it. It suffers from being a little predictable and hopelessly cliched (everything explodes, bad guys can hit any side of a barn, etc.) and there's more than a few times when it thinks it is so cool (typically involving fire).

Elephant in the Room: Didn't they have to reshoot some of it after the Cinemark shootings? Apparently, having a gun fight in a movie theater is not a good idea now. I haven't looked up what changed exactly, but I doubt it would've resulted in a different final product. Personally, I think it would be cool of them to include the alternate version on the DVD. Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen though.

To Sum Things Up:
I've been pretty dismissive so far but that's for a reason. This is a genre movie that doesn't aim for anything new. I can't imagine anyone leaving the theater with that on a top ten list. That doesn't mean it isn't a fun, escapist 2-hours with people you like seeing on the screen, action that is entertaining, and enough quips to keep it from getting too serious. I predict a two disk set of this and Lawless on sale for $9.99 at Target in no fewer than five years.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend