Gangster Squad

Ein simpler Actionfilm mit einem Model-Licht und einem Retro-Gangsterfilm-Mantel. Eine oder zwei spannende Szenen, ein schnelles Tempo, einfache Figuren, gefällige Kamerafilter und ein schrecklich geführter Ryan Gosling. Wenn der in einem Film verlegen ist, dann musste der Regisseur wirklich ein unglaublicher Pfuscher sein. Wie konnte man mit so einem Drehbuch solch eine Besetzung bekommen?! Genau zwischen zwei und drei Sternen, ich neige mich mehr den zweien zu, weil es sich um eine Schändung von Leone und De Palma handelt. (24.01.2013)

Ein schneller Genrefilm mit perfekten Actionszenen, einer sympathischen Besetzung, einer angenehmen Popcorn-Stimmung, Spannung und mit Humor. Am Anfang hatte ich Angst, ob Gangster Squad nicht zu viel von The Untouchables - Die Unbestechlichen übernommen hat. Im Laufe der Zeit habe ich aber meine Befürchtungen ganz vergessen und nur Spaß gehabt. Warum nicht.__PS: Die Musik von Jablonsky (diesmal hat sie mir gefallen) klingt ein bisschen wie Zimmers Sherlock Holmes. Bei der Abschlusskomposition "Gangster Squad" zitiert er Morricones The Untouchables - Die Unbestechlichen. Nicht, dass mich das stören würde. (05.07.2014)

It’s shallow kitsch, without much in terms of wisdom from the screenwriter, but it’s still watchable, thanks mainly to the good cast, the nice visuals and the craftsmanship. Sean Penn’s main evil gangster, though, feels like self-parody; his attempts at looking insane and maniac were funny – but that also contributed to my experience as a viewer, which I would describe as satisfactory. It’s unlikely that I will watch Gangster Squad again (not alone, at least), but I didn’t feel any acute need to get as far away from the screen as possible. (03.04.2013)

Six brave and incorruptible men against one serious candidate for plastic surgery and a stay in a psychiatric clinic. I wouldn’t have been bothered at all by Fleischer’s attempt to adapt this strange mix of gangster and noir motifs to the tastes of comic-book readers and gamers if the film wasn’t a failure on more basic levels: development of the characters, creation of dramatic tension, logic of action, consistency of atmosphere. The whole film consistently adheres to comic-book stylisation in the mould of Dick Tracy (from which Penn’s psychotic troll most likely escaped), and I won’t mention the ill-considered violence of numerous scenes, and the fascist methods of the “hunters” (who, unlike the protagonists of De Palma’s The Untouchables, obviously have no moral inhibitions) aren’t worthy of comment. However, the inclination toward heroic pathos is much more common than the deliberate parodying of the genre. Though they look good on the posters, they are also as flat as the posters as they pay the price for going from one extreme to the other. Neither the content nor the manner of storytelling offers anything that could draw us in or make us fear for the protagonists characters, or at least spark our interest in how the story will continue. As a brutally straightforward and straightforwardly brutal shoot ’em up (unfortunately with supremely unclear action scenes, including the fistfights), Gangster Squad can make for a pleasant evening, but it also leaves a bitter aftertaste. I consider the failure to make a better film with such an excellent cast, an Oscar-winning cinematographer and a highly capable soundtrack composer to be an act of Hollywood-style organised crime. 65% (02.02.2013)

Shallow popcorn flick that lacks the soul, the atmosphere and that one memorable scene that have always made the gangster genre so attractive and rewarding to viewers. There are many moments, especially the last ten minutes, that were written following the manual "How to make an unwanted parody of a genre quickly and easily." The only thing that keeps it afloat is Josh Brolin’s manly charisma. On the whole, it's as routine and stupid as Zombieland, which I expected from Fleischer, so there's no question of disappointment. And please, don’t give me that “Inspired by a True Story” line. (11.04.2013)