Gangster Squad is a decent movie. Definitely a one time watch. It has a fabulous cast comprising some of my favorites like Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling and some good supporting players like Giovani Ribis, Michael Pena.
The plot is fairly simple.Set in 1940’s LA it tells the story of a ruthless mob head Micky Cohen (Penn) and how a squad of different skilled LAPD officers are assembled by the department chief to bring him down.
The plot(gangsters and undercover cops), the setting(1940’s and 1950’s post ww2 USA) are not very new to us as they have witnessed in every fifth movie coming out of Hollywood. What works for the movie is that it is fast paced and doesn’t have a dull moment. Plus the cast is top notch and even their average performance translates into a watchable experience. Penn. Gosling and Brolin all are in their elements playing roles for which they seem perfectly suited. Penn looks menacing while Gosling plays the goofy cop quite well.