By Alexander Wood

The untamed and unruly nature of the mob is made clear as a rival gangster meets an untimely and graphic end at the hands of ruthless mobster, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) balances the battle of good and evil; one that is set against the canvas of 1950s’ Los Angeles and is framed by crooked police, classic cars and a ruthless world of corruption. Slow-motion scenes of the infamous mobster boxing, sets the tone for the machine gun narrative that is soon to be underway.

‘Gangster Squad’ is the latest film by Ruben Fleischer, and enters the seedy underworld of the mob, while attempting to follow in footsteps of other classic flicks like the ‘Untouchables’ and ‘L.A. Confidential’. The film was equipped with all the elements needed to create a compelling narrative, including great actors like Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, however it falls short of the great film one would expect. The actors have been known for greatness—yet the characters are underdeveloped and fail to push the story into any unknown territory. It seems that the narrative simmers but never comes to a complete boil, leaving parts of the film running a little slow and lacking the unique cinematography that is sporadically placed throughout the film.

Considering the success and playful filmic style of Fleischer’s film ‘Zombieland’, many viewers would expect a more sutured together film; one that revisions the nostalgia of the 50s instead of repeating it. Often during the 113 minute runtime the audience is left with moments of great filmmaking rather than a complete narrative. That being said, there are elements that show that the filmmaker was attempting to move away from the beaten path and create his own unique take on the genre.

One of the action sequences in the film occurs in a dimly lit jail, which becomes illuminated by the sporadic bursts of gun fire. With each shot the scene becomes frozen, offering a sequence of images that are reminiscent of the illustrations of early comic books. This style of sequential art is felt throughout the film, and at times leans towards a ‘Sin City’ feel – with sweeping camera shots that are very similar to Frank Miller’s film, which also has a strong graphic novel influence.

There are also a number of scenes that are overexposed and harshly lit, further aligning elements of the film with a style reminiscent of ‘Sin City’. Additionally, the use of newspapers to tell key parts of the story harkens back to an earlier time in filmmaking, showing that the film does have style; however it fails to become an impactful and compelling element of the storytelling. Although these elements were unique, they only acted as accents within the greater style of filmmaking.

The use of light, juxtaposition and graphic novel-like scenes carries the film at times and provide some noteworthy parts, but overall the film isn’t as sharp as to be expected. ‘Gangster Squad’, although nothing to write home about, is an entertaining flick for fans of the genre or those who appreciate a good gun fight in the street.

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