Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad? That sounds like a superhero team. But in reality, it's just a true crime story. But then again, gangster superheroes sound fun.

Anyway, the actual movie stars Josh Brolin as the hero, John O'Mara. He's a police sergeant in 1949 Los Angeles. The evil gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has made a name for himself in the City of Angels. He's made such a name that no one will testify against him.

LAPD Chief Parker (Nick Nolte) is painfully aware of Cohen's power. So, in response, he has O'Mara assemble a bunch of cops to take on Cohen. Together, they are the Gangster Squad, with the power to break the law as they please to punish the lawbreakers. Now, all they have to do is to prevent Cohen from becoming wise to their scheme.

Director Reuben Fleischer starts the film off well. He gives the heroes some fun moments together and apart; a highlight being an escape from jail that goes awry. With Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe, his Los Angeles scenery is appropriately gritty and pulpish.

Its best moments, though, were when the film behaved as an action comedy. But for most of it, it played itself too straight. Not merely switching from fun to drama halfway, but playing both in the same scene. The best example is Mickey Cohen, whose hamminess belonged more to Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy. While the rest of the characters do earn some good laughs, they were overall too generic to care about.

As an action film, Gangster Squad will not disappoint. But as a gripping true crime drama, you might want to find something else.