First Trailer for "Gangster Squad"

There are a ton of great looking movies coming out this year, and this is one that I feel is constantly getting pushed to the back-burner (a lot probably has to do with the fact that an official release date hasn't been set and some are left to question if it will actually make it out these year). But with a new trailer for the film, most are starting to assume this will be a for-sure player at the end of the season. And while it's not an epic blockbuster like a lot of the films that are getting the attention right now, with its impressive cast and its connection to real-world historical events, this film really does warrant some attention.

"Gangster Squad", directed by Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland"), stars Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie, Nick Nolte, and Michael Pena. The film centers around 1940's real-life mob boss Mickey Cohen (Penn), and a small group of L.A. cops, lead by Brolin and Gosling, who try and stop Cohen's high-level crime ring from taking over their city.

Check out the first trailer, courtesy of Apple, after the break.



Thoughts? Personally, I love the look of it; and Penn looks like he does a great job as the villain, Mickey Cohen, here. I like the overall cast, and I think this movie can be a lot of fun - an all-star team of L.A. cops, assembled for a job that's off the books; anything goes. And the fact that it's actually based on true events only further elevates this film for me. Like I said, the film has yet to receive an official release date, but it's looking much more likely that we'll for sure be getting this one sometime later this year. I hope it does get a release, because I'll be interested to see how this plays throughout the awards circuit. It seems like Costume Design is a good possibility at the very least. I wonder if any acting awards can come of it? Way too early to tell though.

Here's the film's official synopsis:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.

What do you guys think about this film so far?