Skip to main content

(film review) - Gangster Squad

So, late last year I was watching an IGN reviw about something, I can't remember right now and it was mentioning films to look out for. I believe it was someone talking about Peter Jackson 'The Hobbit', then went on to say, Ironman 3 and a few others I simply didn't care for or remember, but Gangster Squad stood out.
I remember seeing the trailer and thinking, "Damn, this looks interesting" So, I set out to watch it and boy did I find this film, a very good watch.

It stars then child Goonies actor, Josh Brolin (I had to say that as I think that is amazing and he has come a long way) as Sgt. John O'Mara who is personally selected by chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) to take down Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), a rising to power gangster in post WWII Los Angeles. In order to do this, John must get together the finiest men and form the Gangster Squad in order to help him take down L.A's most powerful figure against his reluctant wife Connie's (Mireille Enos) wishes. To take down Cohen and his merry men, John bands together men of different skills and uses: - Detective Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie), Wire-Tapper Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi) & Gangster Killer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick).That is basically it. John heads out to first cripple Mickey's Buiness, then eventually cripple him and put him behind bars.

Now this film is nothing we haven't seen before as I'm sure you know there are hundreds of Gangsta movies based on this era. You know the outcome (unless there is a spin thrown onto it) and frankly, you'd watch it just to see how this Gangster film delivers. And boy does this film deliver. Action, action and action from the moment the opening credits stop rolling. Actually, I don't even think the opening credits were rolling before you saw something happen to this guy. I won't say what. Then Something else happen to another guy. It was all going on, just to show you who was the man about town. Tyranny I believe the word is. And John's assemblement was so well chosen, thinking about it now, it was like watching The Avengers, without the superhero flashy colours and powers and replaced with tommy guns, pistols and sticks of dynamite. Granted the film may not make as much as Avengers did and may not appeal to everyone, but for me, this film was just as good. Serious bits. Sad bits. Sexy bits and ACTION. Through a few parts of the film, i was cheering or making excitement noises like 'Ooooooh' when Athony Mackie did anything. The film was very well scripted, acted out and the direction and flow of the film was steady. No boring or dull moments and a few laugh out loud moments, you know LOL!

If you like gangster films there isn't a reason you shouldn't like this.

Comments

Popular Posts of the Last 7 Days

(trailer review) - Alien: Romulus

(trailer review) - The Fall Guy

Popular Posts of Last Year

(trailer review) - Secret Invasion

(trailer review) - Loki: Season 2

(trailer review) - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3