Gangster Squad comes from director Ruben Fleischer and screenwriter Will Beal, featuring Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Patrick, and Michael Pena. Steve Jablonski composed the music, with Dion Beebee handling cinematography. Los Angeles is under siege by crime boss Mickey Cohen (Penn). Within a shadowy corner of the police department, a specialized unit is formed. Given broad authority to dismantle Cohen’s criminal enterprise through any necessary means, this Gangster Squad answers violence with violence. Drawing inspiration from actual events, Gangster Squad delivers a familiar dose of machine gun action. An impressive cast portrays both lawmen and criminals in a style reminiscent of The Untouchables, though the film doesn't quite reach the level of classic gangster films. There’s nothing particularly innovative here; it unfolds exactly as anticipated. Brolin and Gosling lead the protagonists, with Brolin carrying a subplot involving family peril and Gosling developing a romance with Emma Stone, who also happens to be involved with Cohen. Sean Penn delivers an unrestrained performance as Cohen, full of profanity and theatricality. Whether you enjoy this portrayal will likely depend on your feelings about Penn’s acting style when he's allowed to embody a larger-than-life character. The film successfully evokes the period setting, showcasing a vibrant late 1940s Los Angeles populated by men in hats, trench coats, and tommy guns, frequenting dimly lit bars where singers perform. The production values are strong overall, aside from occasional awkward dialogue. Action sequences are well-executed, intense, bloody, and exciting; the visuals are striking, and the score is powerful. It’s disappointing that more thought wasn't invested in the project—some intelligence to complement the action. As an entertainment piece with a comic book feel, it succeeds on those terms, but elsewhere it feels superficial and predictable, with characters like Ribisi’s, Patrick’s, and Pena’s being easily anticipated. Therefore, it falls short of The Untouchables, though it surpasses Mullholland Falls. Take that as you wish. 6.5/10

Source on TMDB