Gangster Squad (2013)
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A covert LAPD unit is formed to dismantle the criminal empire of a powerful underworld kingpin in 1949 Los Angeles.
The story
In 1949 Los Angeles, crime boss Mickey Cohen has become the most powerful figure in the California underworld, expanding his criminal enterprise across the West Coast. The LAPD has struggled to stop his ruthless rise, which involves eliminating witnesses, hiring dirty cops, and spreading corruption through the justice system. To combat this, LAPD Chief Bill Parker creates a covert undercover unit authorized to act outside the law. Sergeant John O'Mara is put in charge of the Squad, recruiting a team of misfit officers and a detective to dismantle Cohen's dirty business empire.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1949 Los Angeles, crime boss Mickey Cohen dominates the California underworld and seeks to expand his reach across the West Coast. Because Cohen uses corruption and violence to evade the law, LAPD Chief Bill Parker forms a covert unit of 'misfit' officers authorized to operate outside the law. Sergeant John O'Mara leads the Squad, recruiting Detective Jerry Wooters and several other officers. The team successfully strikes several blows against Cohen's operations, including a wire gambling business. However, Cohen eventually deduces they are police after a bugging attempt and lures them into an ambush in Chinatown, where Keeler is killed. After a drive-by attack on O'Mara's home, O'Mara secures an arrest warrant from a crooked judge. The Squad confronts Cohen at the Park Plaza Hotel in a lengthy shootout. While Cohen and his bodyguard Karl Lennox initially escape, O'Mara rams their vehicle and engages Cohen in a bare-knuckle brawl, eventually defeating him. Cohen is sentenced to life at Alcatraz, where he is beaten by inmates. The surviving members of the Squad remain in secret, and O'Mara retires to a quiet life.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ruben Fleischer
- Writers
- Will Beall · writer
- Cast and characters
- Josh Brolin; Ryan Gosling; Nick Nolte; Emma Stone; Anthony Mackie; Giovanni Ribisi; Michael Peña; Sean Penn
- Genres
- crime; action; thriller
- Themes
- Corruption; Justice; Underworld Crime
- Tone and mood
- Stylized; Violent; Pulp-fiction
- Premise and plot tags
- Crime; Police; Historical; Action
- Source material / true-story basis
- non-fiction book by Paul Lieberman
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its style and performances while others criticized the writing and excessive violence. It grossed $105.2 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for a September 2012 release.; The film was loosely based on a non-fiction book by Paul Lieberman.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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