Perhaps it's my love for pulpy films that have brought me to sitting down and writing this review. I know for a fact that my love for pulpy films that sometime even venture into self parody is why I am putting my foot down and saying that Gangster Squad is the most fun I have had at the movies in a long while. Sure---there are better films of this kind out on DVD and it features some of the worst dialogue this side of Battlefield Earth but these things are also part of the charm of the film.
The film revolves around six cops (Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick and Michael Pena) and their attempt to take down Los Angeles's most notorious gangster Mickey Cullen (Sean Penn.) Things get even more complicated when Jerry (Gosling) falls for Mickey's lover (Emma Stone.)
Penn's performance is immaculate. He brings the right mix of creepy and wacky to the table. Mickey Cullen is one of the scariest characters even to hit the big screen. The opening scene involves Mickey doing something to a man no sane person could even imagine someone doing. And yes---Mickey does give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money. All six of the cops are excellent. Brolin and Gosling both give us the perfect charming bad boys, Ribisi fits in surprisingly well and Mackie, Patrick and Pena make nice vigilantes in their own respects.
The film does get very silly towards the end but once again---all part of the fun. Some of the dialogue is horrific such as when an attempted prison escape fails and a character simply says "That did not work." There isn't much about the film that anyone is likely to remember in a couple of days.
Still----for all its flaws---I enjoyed Gangster Squad immensely. It is far from perfect and will certainly not make my top 10 for the year come 2014. However---director Ruben Fleischer (who previously did the comedies Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less) makes a surprisingly nice transition here. It may be too pulpy and ridiculous for some but it's a great time at the movies if you know what you're getting into.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence and language)
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