Gangster SquadMovie Reviews

  • Go Based on 12,349 reviews
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    Written January 20, 2013

    Just turn off your brain and enjoy

    by 140bytemoviereview

    Take a bunch of square-jawed cops, add one scenery-chewing Sean Penn, give them Tommy guns and film noir lingo, disengage your higher brain functions and have fun. And when you've had your fill of blood, explosions, fistfights and power drills to the head, there's always Emma Stone to look at, wearing dresses so slinky that a Slinky will slink back up the stairs in shame.

    There, I did it. I used variations of 'slink' three times in one sentence. That required more intellect that you'll find in 'Gangster Squad's entire script. But, hey, it's January, and you can't spend all of the next two months trying to catch every Oscar-nominated film for 2012 that you missed.

    @140bytemoviereview

    • 8 out of 12 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 13, 2013

    Best Gangster Movie Yet!

    by goldengirlwendy

    Action packed! The dramatic tension between the main players makes you hold your breath throughout the movie. Excellent script and direction- true to events and period! The best shoot-em-up since Pacino's Scarface! Great, believable character performances. Sean Penn plays Cohen as he was- sinister, smart, and without conscience. Bullets flying everywhere! Not for kids, or the faint of heart. A must see!!

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
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  • So-so
    Written January 21, 2013

    A little disappointing

    by

    For a film with several name stars, I was a little disappointed at the real lack of depth to most of the characters. Josh Brolin's John O'Mara and Sean Penn's Mickey Cohen are the characters whose past is even touched on. For someone with the talent she has, Emma Stone is virtually wasted as Ryan Gosling's love interest Grace, although she does play a pivotal role in the story. Gosling as the jaded, smooth talking Jerry Wooters is about the only character that really shines at all. With all that being said the action sequences are fairly entertaining and the plot is pretty straight forward making the film easy to follow, there just isn't a whole lot there.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 22, 2013

    The Gangster Squad

    by

    Absolutely loved it! Some people would say it was too much shooting, but I would say there was not any more shooting than you would expect from a gangster film. Matter of fact, even though it begins with a pretty gruesome scene involving Mickey & his cohorts, it wasn't as gruesome as some other gangster films I've seen. The movie is intended for adults. It was not a complicated plot to follow, but there was plenty of action, a little romance drama regarding Wooters and Grace, and plenty of anticipation for the viewers as to how the Gangster Squad was going to bring the bad guys down. It seemed like a lot of thought & effort was exercised regarding detailed scnerery, vehicles, and clothing of the period, dramatic explosions, etc. You can't beat the all star cast! Penn, Brolin, Gosling, & Stone were phenomenal, as usual! Mackie is an interesting star to watch & enjoyed Nick Nolte's gruff character. Pure entertainment to get your mind of of the everyday grind. Go see it!!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written February 16, 2013

    Excellent! don't listen to critics.

    by theravens

    My wife and I agree, this was a great show. It was non-stop action. There was great character development. And sometimes, it is great to see the good guys kick the butts of the bad guys. It was a bit predictable, but I don't care. The preformances of the great cast measured up to all I wanted to see. Sean Penn was the baddest bad-guy. Josh Brolin was the most heroic hero. Ryan Gosling was an querky playboy with a heart of gold. And, I love Emma Stone. She was gorgeous and played her part perfectly. The rest of the emsemble were just as they should be. I was a little hesitant to see the show since the critics did not love it, then I thought, when have they ever been correct? The fans said Go! I say must go!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • So-so
    Written January 17, 2013

    There's no "Wait for it to come out on Netflix" option, huh?

    by primesilver

    When I first saw the previews, I remember thinking, "Oh, it's basically The Untouchables," except after Prohibition. What I should have realized was that it was basically The Untouchables without a script written by David Mamet. There are so many words I can use to describe the script: clunky, convoluted, predictable...but "hack" is probably the lead. There is literally a line where Sean Penn says, "You know the drill," and then one of his cronies grabs a drill and uses it on someone. So clever!!

    I can't tell if the people in this movie knew how bad it was going to be, and so they embraced it, or if everyone just brought in terrible performances. The acting was pretty wooden, and although there were genuine moments of cuteness in the movie (pulled off well), the theater I was in laughed the hardest at a serious scene at the end. This is a movie to watch at home with friends and rip apart (in that fun way). No need to pay full price.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 15, 2013

    Critics Wrong!!!

    by Dennis in Oregon

    I went to this movie because of the negative reviews...

    I enjoyed this film very much from beginning to end...

    Great cast...

    I may see it again...

    • 7 out of 10 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 12, 2013

    Fascinating watch

    by

    The movie was very well written, well casted and well down. Absolutely no boring moments. Might not be the best movie for younger kids. This is a must see.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Go
    Written January 15, 2013

    AW

    by Ann Wang

    I have very simple taste in movies. It has to be entertaining and Gangster Squad was very entertaining. I enjoyed it very much. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling makes a great screen couple. The rest of the cast was also solid.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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  • Go
    Written January 20, 2013

    Stylish set design, a true story with pretty people, escapist entertainment

    by bobkrieger1

    Enjoyed the movie, varied a bit from the book, which was written by an LA Times reporter with the help of the LATimes archives...kinda violent, especially in the opening "hit" when the rival mobster is dragged between 2 Cadillacs and torn in two....the end was a bit preachy, but overall the movie was really fun and interesting, The locations were pretty authentic, except for the Park Plaza Hotel interior which looked suspiciously like Union Station LA... catch the "old" 1940's postcards in the closing credits...the art direction is incredible.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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    Written February 3, 2013

    PREDICTABLE BUT VERY GOOD

    by Ivana Vital

    I enjoyed the movie very much. It was very predictable...you know, good vs evil and good saving the day but all in all, it was a pretty good movie. Sean Penn, whereas I love him and think he's awesome, seems to be way over the top with his hammy acting in the last few roles I've seen him play. This was no exception. It turns into a caricature and almost comes off as comical. But that's Sean, we've seen it before from him. Ryan Gosling, on the other hand, is just the most adorable thing on 2 feet. It's very violent - it's hard to believe that someone can take THAT kind of beating from a bare fist and still keep on fighting. But even tho I've said these things, it really is a pretty good movie and I think, if you like gangster flicks (which we do), this is a pretty good one worth seeing.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • No
    Written January 29, 2013

    Forgettable

    by

    Despite poor critic reviews I had high hopes going into this movie because a friend said it was awesome. I was very disappointed to say the least. I expected better things from this all star cast. The movie was predictable and boring, Sean Penn's accent was confusing because it changed throughout the movie, and I stopped paying attention but still knew exactly how this story would end within the first 5 minutes. I get what they were trying to do here with the old school, cheesy, shoot em up drama, but this movie either needed to go darker or lighter. It was in a gray area so it really didn't make a whole lot of sense. That being said, I still love Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and I'll forgive them eventually.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 28, 2013

    Fantastic movie. Leave your cerebrum at home and expect to have fun.

    by amyvanlan

    This movie appealed to me because of the historical perspective on Los Angeles (I'm an urban history/sociology freak), the classic cops vs robbers/cowboys vs indians/soldiers vs infidels story line, and the promise of great acting by Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, and Josh Brolin. Not to mention that Emma Stone is a stone fox.

    I have to say that this movie delivered in leaps and bounds on all fronts. The time period was reproduced beautifully, the cops & robbers story was very entertaining and at times gripping, and Sean Penn and the rest were other-worldly.

    My only critique of the film comes from my background in Gender Studies, as the story highlights themes of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (bell hooks), and my sensitivity to extreme violence. I closed my eyes at a few really violent parts of the film, and kept my ideals in tact by acknowledging and dismissing some themes. I found that I still really enjoyed the film, and will definitely purchase it when it goes to DVD.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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  • So-so
    Written January 13, 2013

    Stylish, Shoot 'em Up Movie

    by yippie70

    An entertaining movie if you enjoy action films with a lot of violence. The sets and costumes recreate LA in the late 40s very well. The special effects are designed to enhance the violent scenes and do the job.

    Sean Penn always gives a good performance, but the script doesn't require deep acting from the cast, the story is pretty weak and predictable as written. Penn gets to rant and rage, Brolin is good for outrage and bombast, Goslin for cool...

    Remembering this is a movie, the writer and director have distorted and/or omitted key facts and details of what really happened between Cohen and the LA cops for dramatic effect...but it doesn't really matter...this film is very much a soufflé..

    • 7 out of 10 found this review helpful.
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  • Must Go!
    Written January 13, 2013

    Gangster Squad

    by

    This movie was entertaining from start to finish!! The cast is incredible and everyone does a terrific job. The time period is genuinely depicted....don't know how they did that!
    Do not wait to see this at home...the big screen it where you can get the whole experience !

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Tweets About Gangster Squad

92% positive
Join the conversation

lizmwhiting Gangster Squad was #toptier #ryangosling #omg

22 hours ago.

vickiiality That was so cheesy and dramatic #gangstersquad

22 hours ago.

DrakeE49 THE MOVIE GANGSTER SQUAD WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT

22 hours ago.

Hairandhips Gangster squad was awesome there could have been more male nudity but it was still great

22 hours ago.

p4pvic Watched gangster squad it was ok about to watch Argo

22 hours ago.

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Exclusive Features

Cast Interviews Exclusive Cast Interview Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and the cast of Gangster Squad talks about the old days, the mob and their new movie. Cine Latino: 'Gangster Squad''s Michael Peña on Playing César E. Chávez and Being a Badass Michael Peña talks about his upcoming film role and the pressures of playing César E. Chávez in Diego Luna's biopic 'Chavez'.