Review: Gangster Squad

Release Date:  January 11, 2012

Running Time: 113 minutes
Starring: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin

Who to see it with: Your LA Friend

David: 

Gangster Squad is an enjoyable movie that is "inspired" by true events.  Although a lot of the actual events did happen, there is definitely a Hollywood flavor to everything about this movie.  From the stylized production, the over the top personalities, and the action sequences, it's clearly a loose take on what should have been a very interesting and insightful window into LA's secret gang squad.  It's an action-packed "summer" movie with a good sense of style.  It started strong but the plot soon became plodding and predictable.  I really wish that the filmmakers had been a little more true to the source material.  Overall, I liked it, but after seeing the trailers and reading about the back story, I definitely wanted to love it.  

Rent it.

For more reference, here is a 7-part LA Times story about the real gangster squad.  It's definitely worth a read:

http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/05/noir-la-gangster-squads-crusaders-in-the-underworld-the-stories-behind-the-story