Flick Picks
'Gangster Squad' Misses the Mark
A group of pretty-boy cops goes all "gangsta" to take down a mob boss who looks a lot like Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
A Chicago gangster moves out to Los Angeles, killing his way to the top, only to be met by a few honest cops in "Gangster Squad." Sean Penn overacts as the main bad guy while the good guys include Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena and Nick Nolte. The undercover spy femme fatale is Emma Stone in this wildly ridiculous, over-the-top movie. I couldn't tell if the film wanted to be a serious gangster drama (circa 1940s) or an action-adventure film for kids. It's trying to be more like "The Untouchables" but ends up more like "Dick Tracy." The Flick-O-Meter gives "Gangster Squad" a two out of five. Sadly, the most attention this film got was six months ago after the Aurora, CO, movie …
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