Synopsis: Post second world war LA is under the control of ruthless gang boss Mickey Cohen. He has the police and the law in his pocket and criminal activity sewed up until the police chief forms a clandestine squad of low-ranking police officers to take him down.
Stan's thoughts: Aside from a stellar cast - Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Michael Pena etc - I don't think this offers anything new to the gangster genre. It is entertaining enough - if a little too graphically violent for my liking - but it just all seems a little too predictable and obvious. Maybe it's just the fact that I don't find big shoot outs engaging - lots of chaotic firing, few getting hit - or that you never really doubt what the outcome will be. Good enough but not great.
Ratings:
Stan's thoughts: Aside from a stellar cast - Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Michael Pena etc - I don't think this offers anything new to the gangster genre. It is entertaining enough - if a little too graphically violent for my liking - but it just all seems a little too predictable and obvious. Maybe it's just the fact that I don't find big shoot outs engaging - lots of chaotic firing, few getting hit - or that you never really doubt what the outcome will be. Good enough but not great.
Ratings:
- Stan's: 55%
- IMDB: 73%
- Metascore: 40%
- Rotten Tomatoes: 34%
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