Gangster Squad

DRAMA

New Territories

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 | Movie - DVD - Rental

---

Rated: R Strong violence and language.
Release Date: January 11, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 53 minutes

---

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writers: Will Beall, Paul Liberman
Cast: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña, Giovanno Ribisi

---

Watch Trailer

SYNOPSIS: In 1949, the chief of the LAPD enlists a group of police hard cases to form a gangster squad to go against Los Angeles crime boss Mickey Cohen.

REVIEW: 30 Minutes or Less and Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer goes dramatic Los Angeles mobster noir with a screenplay by Will Beall (Castle, the announced Justice League) from the book of the same name by Paul Lieberman. What happens when the law is not enough to keep organized crime in check? You create a task force with members more ruthless than the criminals ever were.

Ex-boxer Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn, Milk) only knows violence and power. He led with his fists in order to gain an upper hand in 1949 Los Angeles. As he controlled more and more of the city's organized crime, the cops and politicians not under Cohen's thumb are near powerless to combat the power hungry thug turned crime boss. Chief Parker (Nick Nolte, Warrior) enlists the service of homicide squad Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin, Men In Black III) to put together a squad of men who would work beyond the boundaries of the law in order to dish out justice against Cohen and his syndicate.

Gangster Squad is inspired by a true story as the men and women of post-war Los Angeles suffer under the rule of the mob. Part L.A. Confidential and part The Untouchables, Brolin's O'Mara puts together a squad of hard cases to work without the protective shield of the L.A.P.D. badge. Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March) is the young capable cop who has as many vices as he does virtues. African American Officer Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) on the beat is the only thing that stands in the way of heroin hitting his local streets. And Sgt. O'Mara's wife's urging, O'Mara ends up picking up old-style western six-shooter Officer Max Kennard (Robert Patrick, Trouble with the Curve) to give some accuracy to the boys' shooting. Tagging along with Kennard is a companion Officer Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña, End of Watch) who doesn't seem to be right for the job but stands behind his guns when necessary. Rounding out the squad is Officer Conway Keeler (Giovanni Ribisi, Ted) who counterbalances to team's brawn with some brains as a former Army intelligence officer with skills and wiretapping to try to get at the bottom of Cohen's criminal mechanisms. 

There may be several members to the righteous Gangsters Squad but Mickey Cohen has his own men surrounding him loaded to bear. Most serve as cannon fodder and human shields to protect, but Cohen does surround himself with a trusted bodyguard and his number one lieutenant who serve him above all else. But none of the men who carry Tommy guns and carry out Cohen's orders are no match for the power-hungry man himself. Brolin's O'Mara has his hands full with the weathered, progressive-thinker brute with a plan grander than the city itself. The Chicago mobs may have clung to the old ways just a little to long, allowing themselves to be lulled into thinking their empires couldn't be toppled.

Tommy guns roar and bullets riddle both personal property and torsos. The film pulls no punches as hot lead and closed fists lead to sprays of blood. Embroiled with men on both sides of the law, Grace Faraday (Emma Stone, The Amazing Spider-Man) serves as the softer side of a story filled with hardened and driven men. A girl just trying to make it in Hollywood Land, Faraday ends up being an evening gown swishing, crimson-lipped dame on the air of both the domineering Mickey Cohen and the charismatic Jerry Wooter. Stone smokes up each scene she walks her gams into, but sometimes does not have enough to do to warrant part of the story.

Gangster Squad is the perfect post-noir period piece for your hard-boiled enjoyment. Of course, there are moments of Hollywood Land cinematic bravado. Such things are inevitable when there is such a vast library of storytelling already projected on the silver screen, plus guns and gristled men of action. Quentin Tarantino would be proud of the mob/gangster squad standoffs. And Kevin Costner, remember that scene at the train station with Elliot Ness in The Untouchables? Brolin, Gosling, and Penn ellipse that with more bullets and blood on the carpeted steps of a posh hotel. Director Fleischer and writer Beall ramp up the violence, the intrigue and the humor. Michael Peña and Giovanni Ribisi add their own sense of style to the keep the mood as light as it can handle.

Gangster Squad is the perfect blend of bullets, blood, and classy babes. Brolin's square jaw, Penn's piercing stares, Gosling's charisma, and Stone's sultry eyes make for fine entertainment taking place on the streets of the City of Angels.

Men In Black 3

Back To The Future

---

Rated: PG-13  Sci-fi action violence, and brief suggestive content
Release Date: May 25, 2012
Runtime:  1 hr 43 mins

---

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writers: Lowell Cunningham, David Koepp, Etan Cohen, Jeff Nathanson, Michael Soccio
Cast:  Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Bill Hader, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alice Eve

---

---

SYNOPSIS: Agent J travels back in time to MIB's early years in the 1960s in order to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.

REVIEW: Barry Sonnenfeld, director of both Men in Black, Men in Black II, plus Get Shorty and both Addams Family films, returns ten years after the last MIB film to let us catch another glimpse of the the odd couple agents that entralled us in the original film in 1997. Using a collective of writers for the third installment, Sonnenfeld employs the scribing talents of Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder), David Koepp (Angels and Demons), Jeff Nathanson (Tower Heist), and Michael Soccio (The Kings of Queens), all based on the original comic by Lowell Cunningham.

Agent J (Will Smith, Seven Pounds) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones, Captain America: The First Avenger) continue to thwart alien incidents that affect New York and the outer boroughs, Agent J still wondering why his partner is so sullen and stoic. One of Agent K's early arrests, Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement, Dinner for Schmucks), escapes from the super maximum Lunar Max moon prison with forty years of hatred for the man who took his freedom and one of his arms. Hatching a plan to erase the one mistake of his past, Boris promptly finds an illegal time jump device with the expressed focus to kill Agent K before he is arrested and before he loses an arm. When Agent J wakes the next day and is the only person to remember that Agent K was just alive yesterday instead of being killed in 1969, the new head of MIB Agent O (Emma Thompson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2) points Agent J to the same source for time jumping that Boris had used, an electronics store owner Jeffrey Price (Michael Chemus, The Big C). Once in the past, Agent J comes across the younger, more hopeful and easy-going Agent K (Josh Brolin, True Grit), head Agent X (David Rasche, United 93) and a young vibrant Ms. O (Alice Eve, The Raven) in an attempt to save his partner before Agent K becomes nothing more than a distant memory.

Starting in 1997, Barry Sonnenfeld brought Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith together as the supreme odd couple protecting the earth from the scum of the universe. With the veteran, seen-too-much-in-his-career Agent K and the young, hot-headed upstart policeman turned naive intergalactic cop, the first entry based on the Malibu Comics had plenty of action, comedy and story to go around. Five years later, the crew returned with another adventure that combined comedy, a cast of quirky alien characters and villains, and a story worth telling. Now, fifteen years after the start of their journey, Agents J and K return for possibly their last adventure.

In Men In Black 3, the spirit of the story continues seamlessly from the first sequel - even with so much time passed. Tommy Lee and Will settle into the same crotchety rhythm that was so appealing in the first two films. Like in the second movie, though, Tommy Lee Jones' role is critical but diminished. In fact, in Men In Black 3, Tommy Lee sets the stage for the tale but disappears altogether in the wrinkled timeline in favor of the younger version in Brolin. Smith has to take a brand new tact with Brolin's young Agent K, unsure how the young agent turns into the cranky old man that recruited him into the MIB. Sonnenfeld makes sure to keep the same chrome and curved look and feel as the other MIB movies, with the addition of 60s era cars, fashions, and politics. And Brolin does entertain as he nails the young Agent K with his tone and mannerisms.

One of the things that seems to be missing from MIB3 is an edge of humor. In MIB, we were delighted by a talking pug, a morgue clerk embodied by David Cross, a pawn shop alien Jack Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub, Monk) and a twitchy insectoid alien in a meat suit named Edgar played well with Vincent D'Onofrio. In MIB2, Shalhoub, Cross and the pug returned, and the evil shape-shifting villainess Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle) was accompanied by the loony and goofy side kick Scrad (Johnny Knoxville). In MIB3, the villain Boris is all venom and bony shards, with no redeeming or humorous qualities. The pug is gone. Cross and Shalhoub are missing in action. The worms are back in brief cameos and the majority of the jokes rest squarely on Smith's shoulders. He has broad shoulders, but even Smith can only handle so much. Michael Stuhlbarg (Hugo) is cast as the last of his kind fifth-dimensional alien Griffin who sees all possible futures at once and who may hold the key to defending the modern day alien invasion with a 1960s trinket, reminding me of a overly sedate young Robin Williams.

Men In Black 3 has dazzling practical and creature effects. Rick Baker mixes 1960s nostalgia with wonderful CGI FX with the many layered creepy crawly alien assassin Boris. The story continues in the fine tradition that Sonnenfeld, Jones and Smith crafted fifteen years ago. The story feels both rushed and leisurely at times, taking in many sights without the opportunity to soak in the ambiance. Smith's Agent J asks Brolin's Agent K how old he was with the response of twenty-nine. Agent J comments that he must have some city miles on 'em. It's always fun to peek into the world of MIB, but it may be time for some additional new blood or time to hang up the suit and shades.

---

WORTH:  Matinee or DVD

True Grit

Does It Have What It Takes?

[Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper]

image from clothesonfilm.com

RANT: My housemate wanted me out of the kitchen and out of the house while she made perogies for Christmas Day. I was happy to oblige, but I had a choice to make - go to the malls to spend more money on Christmas gifts or go to the movies. I bet you can't guess what choice I made!

SYNOPSIS: A rough and tough U.S Marshal is enlisted and hired by a head-strong 14 year old woman in order to track down the man who murdered her father.

Can a remake of a Golden Globe and Academy Award winning western ever live up to the original? Can Jeff Bridges live up to the legendary western leading actor who is John Wayne? Screenwriting and directing Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, bring True Grit back to the screen after a 40 year absence. The Coen brothers are no strangers to period pieces, slices of Americana, or westerns. With Fargo, No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ladykillers under their belts, the Coen brothers have all the right skills.

As with any great modern western, a heavy part of the appeal is the geography. Rugged riders on powerful horse trekking across sweeping plains, snow topped mountain peaks, babbling brooks and raging rivers, camping out under a sky that is all but non-existent in today's urban sprawl. Once the Coens get us past the dust and grit of the start-up western towns, all that is left is the majesty that is the untamed north and west territories. For a U.S. Marshall and a Texas Ranger, roughing in the great outdoors would seem like child's play. But for a 14 year old girl, practically a woman, driven to find her father's killer, can she survive the wilderness?

Jeff Bridges brings Rueben "Rooster" Cogburn back to the screen, a role made famous by John Wayne. Alternately a stumbling drunkard, a vicious lawman, and a regaler of events past, Bridges emotes more with his one free eye than many others say with their whole body. Hailee Steinfeld expertly plays the headstrong young Mattie Ross, the girl looking to put her father's affairs in order, as well as track down his father's killer. Mattie's education demonstrates just how ignorant some adults were in those days (for a few laughs), but her single-mindedness forces her into the Territories with Cogburn despite having little actual experience in the wild (except for a coon hunt). Steinfeld's Ross is both fearless and fearful. Although she knows she needs someone to find and capture Tom Chaney, she eventually realizes that there is more to it than she expected. Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, the cocky lawman, with ease. Josh Brolin as killer Tom Chaney is at once brutal, scared and diminished. Lastly, Barry Pepper is barely recognisable as the somewhat noble criminal Lucky Ned Pepper.

Although the True Grit remake is a well-crafted and well-acted western, I personally enjoy the 3:10 to Yuma remake and Unforgiven better. Unforgiven is my personal favorite modern western but True Grit does do the genre proud.

Worth: Matinee or Netflix

Butter Popcorn Meter

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Time, Money and Frailty

[Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan]

image from moviefone.com

RANT: The boys from work and I finally got a chance to get to the movie house to see the "Wall Street" sequel. There were a couple of other groups of people in the audience. You know what I hate? I hate it when you are watching a movie, and an old lady who is hard of hearing needs to explain an obvious plot point. The rest of us know that the viewing of an ultrasound reinforces the fact that someone was earlier announced to be pregnant. You would think that the older set would have more movie decorum.

SYNOPSIS: Gordon Gekko, released from prison after a 8 year stint, tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter Winnie. Her boyfriend Jake, reeling from the collapse of the investment bank he was employed and the suicide of his mentor, looks to get even with those he believes to be responsible.

Oliver Stone returns to direct the sequel of his 1987 "Wall Street". Written by Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff, Michael Douglas returns as Gordon Gekko, the Wall Street inside trader who finishes serving 8 years in federal prison and emerges to the fanfare of no one. Almost 8 years later, Gekko is on the speaking circuit and peddling his new book. Enter Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf), a Wall Street trader trying to look for the next "bubble" with fusion energy development and dating Gordon Gekko's daughter Winnie.

When rumors start about the stability of Moore's investment house at the start of the Wall Street collapse, Moore's mentor Louis Zabel (Frank Langella) loses control of the investment bank to Bretton James' (Josh Brolin) firm, and eventually commits suicide. As Jake tries to make sense of how his job has become obsolete and how Zabel could end it all, he attends a seminar with speaker Gordon Gekko. Confronting Gekko afterward, they begin a barter system where Gekko tries to reassert himself into his daughter's life in exchange for Gekko providing Moore pointers and inside information against the man he feels responsible for the downfall of his career.

I could go on and on about the plot points of the film, but the real star of the movie, aside from Gekko, is the subject matter. So relevant to the current economic climate, the issues of the recession runs deep. "Wall Street" brings to light how fragile and fluid our futures are, based on the speculations of a chosen few. Jake tells Winnie in the middle of the film that Americans are sold and believe the fairy tale, but want the truth. With the oh-so-real collapse of the US and world economies, the bursting of the housing market bubble, and the general knowledge that what used to work when it came to the financial markets doesn't work anymore, we face a uncertain future and the next generations face an even more uncertain future.

Oliver Stone weaves the return and fate of Gekko with the breed of a new generation of Wall Streeters in the image of Jake Moore. He exposes the integration of investment banks, the US Treasury, and massive bailouts. He uses the music and style of the original film with the sequel, showing us that no matter the decade greed is always greed, excess is always excess, and the best intentions usually have the most severe consequences.

Worth: Matinee

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!

Jonah Hex

Hex does not mark the spot!

[Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender]

Almost a weekly occurrence now, I am again faced with a weeknight film. Planning to going alone, my plans quickly changed before quitting time as I was accompanied by a pal from work. Instead of hitting the 8:10pm show at Westbury, we hit the 5:25pm show at the Cineplex close to the office. All that allows me to get my review to you even quicker.

SYNOPSIS: Ex-soldier turned bounty hunter, Jonah Hex, seeks revenge against confederate general, Quentin Turnbull, who killed his family and nearly killed him. Called into service by President Grant to hunt down Turnbull, Hex uses his mercenary and supernatural skills for a final showdown.

DC comics brings its lower tier and less known Civil War bounty hunter to the screen courtesy of Jimmy Hayward, best known for directing "Horton Hears a Who!". I could come up with slick tag lines to let you know how I felt about the film, but let's get right into the ragged cheek meat of the film.

Admittedly, although a comic book fan, I am not all that familiar with Jonah Hex other than his mangled look and the era in which he resides. Josh Brolin fills the Hex character well, scarred face and all. Driven and grim, Brolin brings Hex from a simmer to a boil. Malkovich plays Quentin Turnbull, the confederate general who is the source of Hex's misery misery. Malkovich plays the character with calm and cool, but comes off as stoic and stiff. Megan Fox plays the prostitute, Lilah, with a soft spot for Hex. If she was looking to increase her standing as a serious actress with this role, she had better keep looking, or at least fire her agent. Lilah is kept as a sexy prop with a cannon full of one-liners.

Akin to "Wild, Wild West", Hayward tries to modernize this Civil War era tale with electric guitar instrumentals and kinetic camera work. He should have continued looking with animated characters, because his direction of real people seems to be lacking. He relies too heavily on CGI effects for a film genre that typically is shot on a spaghetti string budget. There is obvious reason to use computer effects, especially when recreating period Washington and the 'nation killer' weapon of mass destruction that Turnbull assembles. But there is a scene with a dog and an indian village in the middle background that looks like CGI, that would be less expensive if done as a practical effect.

There are a couple of brighter spots, though. For one, some of the supporting cast make up for some of the misses in the film. Michael Fassbender as Turnbull's trusted henchman Burke is not as sinister as Ben Foster's Charlie Prince in the 2007 "3:10 to Yuma", but is interesting to watch. Aidan Quinn as President Grant, Will Arnet as Lieutenant Grass and Wes Bentley as co-conspirator Adleman Lusk add what little life can be breathed into the story. Also, the parts of the film where Hex uses his connections into the supernatural to revive dead villains for interrogation are arguably the best scenes in the scene, although Hex's found dog seems to have great acting chops.

For fans of the genre or of Jonah Hex, there is not much that I can say on a positive note to persuade even the most hardened supporters to go see this film. But even though I have been accused of being too nice to the films by my ratings, I can not in good conscience regulate this film to 'Network Television'.

Worth: Netflix