Wick on Gangster Squad

Summary - Great 4.0 click to collapse contents

The first great movie of 2013 is Gangster Squad.

Oh great, what we’ve got here is a movie featuring a bunch of Hollywood Liberals gunning down loads of people with weapons they’d like to ban in real life, all in the name of entertainment. Only in America.

OTOH, what’s great is a richly produced, charismatically performed period-piece glamorizing Los Angeles’ glimmering period as America’s America. It’s also one hell of a popcorn movie. Munch on that.

Star power in front and behind the camera mark Gangster Squad as a polished Hollywoodized product.

Sean Penn is the ringer in the strong cast. We already knew he was an actor of the highest caliber. Now his roiling performance as L.A. kingpin Mickey Cohen moves him up into the realm of De Niro and Pacino, aka into the pantheon.

Ruben Fleischer nails his first big-big budget exercise, after having earlier directed the rocking zombie comedy Zombieland. Working with Emma Stone again is another decision nailed. Or something.

Gangster Squad ain’t politically correct or meaningful or even historically accurate. It is however entertaining as hell and gorgeous to look at. Is that so bad?

Acting - Great 4.0 click to expand contents

Sean Penn’s Mickey Cohen ranks up there with the most inimitable gangsters in cinematic history, including De Niro’s Capone from The Untouchables and Pacino’s Cocaine Scarface. They even give him a “Say Hello” line as he blasts his way to infamy.

Additional beefy performances from Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte and Anthony Mackie give the movie real heft. Then there’s the smooth charms of Ryan Gosling, squiring Emma Stone as The Moll. Gosling & Stone have become the 21st century Bogie & Bacall, sans the off-screen romance. Or so we’ve been told…

Back to Brolin, others have said he needed to grow into the family chin. He has. I expressed a wish when reviewing Milk that his late career stardom continue. It has.

A trio of distinctive character actors give the movie, um, character, while an aging macho man gives it even more gruff guff. Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Jon Polito and Robert Patrick, take a bow.

Male Stars - Perfect 5.0

Sean Penn is perfect, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling really great.

Female Stars - Great 4.0

Emma Stone isn't stunning. Playing a stunner however, she proves herself a stunning actress.

Female Costars - Very Good 3.5

Male Costars - Great 4.0

Film - Great 4.0 click to expand contents

Ruben Fleischer’s taste for violent entertainment works well here, given the heaping doses of stylish glamour he applies to it. Ideally he’ll further exercise his style muscle more than his violence muscle going forward. Nah, never happen.

Direction - Great 4.0

Dialogue - Very Good 3.5

Music - Great 4.0

Visuals - Perfect 5.0

Gangster Squad features production values extraordinaire. The best credit? 33 Dancers. Smooth. Hollywood loves L.A., here picturing the City of Angels in a hazy light right before the freeways came. For instance, notice the car chase on dirt roads in what was soon to become a concrete jungle.

Wick's Review

Summary - Great 4.0 click to collapse contents

Acting - Great 4.0 click to expand contents

Male Stars - Perfect 5.0

Female Stars - Great 4.0

Female Costars - Very Good 3.5

Male Costars - Great 4.0

Film - Great 4.0 click to expand contents

Direction - Great 4.0

Dialogue - Very Good 3.5

Music - Great 4.0

Visuals - Perfect 5.0

Edge - Sordid 3.0 click to expand contents

Sex Titillating 1.7

Violence Savage 3.7

Rudeness Profane 3.5

Reality - Surreal 2.7 click to expand contents

Circumstantial - Surreal 3.0

Biological - Surreal 2.7

Physical - Surreal 2.5

2 Comments click to expand contents

BrianSez May 25, 2013 6:12PM

Wick May 25, 2013 5:50PM

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