Gangster Squad had everything going for it: an awesome cast, a cool director, Emma Stone in a sexy red dress, an exciting premise, Emma Stone in a sexy red dress, and yet... blagh. So, yes, contrary to the rules of the universe, it is possible to have a movie starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Josh Brolin that still totally sucks. How did Gangster Squad end up sucking so badly, then? Put simply, there just wasn't anything memorable or interesting about it - it played along like the generic blueprint of a movie in its genre. Run of the mill in every way. Of course, you'd have thought that the director of the creatively-inspired Zombieland could have come up with a way to set Gangster Squad apart from other like-minded movies, but instead we're treated to a showcase of style without any real substance. The cast, who alternate between looking confused and chewing the scenery, can't seem to get a handle on the material, presumably because it's all too thin. There are some good moments scattered throughout, we guess, but overall, Gangster Squad feels like a 2-hour long advertisement for "disappointment."
