Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad worked for me.

It unreels like a tight graphic novel, short critical scenes packing poignant particles of plot into pyrotechnic proclivities, action-packed definitive melodrama fetchingly refurbishing the forensics.

Films such as these often fall apart if the writer(s) hasn't taken the extra time to ensure that her or his lines often seamlessly synthesize the kitschy and the poetic, and Will Beall's script creatively accomplishes this task, no doubt with assistance from Paul Lieberman's novel, commercially perspiring the artistic.

Gangster Squad blows Not Fade Away and The Last Stand away.

The ending, while jurisprudently brandishing a brash scarred face, wasn't as electric as that from Iron Man 2, and the Squad's supporting members would have benefitted from more screen time (throughout).

They do receive plenty of screen time (throughout) and there are a bunch of supporting characters but it's more like Star Trek: The Original Series than Voyager or The Next Generation, frequently focused on leading persons.

If Django Unchained attaches a commercial dimension to the artistic, I would argue that Gangster Squad adds an artistic dimension to the commercial.

Both are hyperviolent but I likely wouldn't have noticed Gangster Squad's if it wasn't for Django Unchained.

If Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) were both running backs, it's tough to imagine who would pick up more yards per game.

Methinks Mr. O'Mara has the edge.

Straight up the gut.

Love how Ruben Fleischer's career is progressing.

Half way through I was hoping for some Gary Busey. Shook my head when I remembered that it co-stars Nick Nolte.