Monster ‘Gangster,’ odd ‘Squad’

“Gangster Squad” refers to the secret gang of cops assigned to bust crimelord Mickey Cohen’s operations across Los Angeles in 1949. The star-studded film shocks with its use of violent imagery early on, but surprisingly, it still has comic touches; it doesn’t exactly balance the mood, but the heavy tone is offset by much-needed and occasional hilarity.

Ruben Fleischer of “Zombieland” whips up a gritty, if ultimately predictable crime-actioner. Sickened by the indifference of corrupt and incompetent cops, Sgt. O’Mara (Josh Brolin) leads a gang of dependable do-gooders (Giovanni Ribisi, Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie, and Michael Pena), whose missions intend to drive Cohen (Sean Penn) out of the city.

There are some fun fisticuffs to be had, which is different from the brutal and repulsive depictions of various crimes committed by Cohen and his thugs. Those are just plain numbing and detestable, shocking moments meant to reiterate the kingpin of crime’s complete and utter vileness.

While Cohen’s character is focused on, the rest of the characters, however, aren’t nearly as developed. With the exception of Gosling and Brolin’s characters, the gangster-busters are perfunctory and lacking in dimension and distinct personalities.

The same goes for Emma Stone’s two-timing girlfriend character Grace, whose motivations for staying with the irredeemable mobster boss aren’t very clear. Surprisingly, though, “The Killing’s” Mireille Enos does more than scowl here; as John’s wife and the brains behind the selection of his crimefighting recruits, she adds an unusual but complementing element.

The secret squad’s focus on brute force can be frustrating; it’s only when their resident genius becomes more involved with their strategies that their missions become intriguing. That said, however, “Gangster Squad” could’ve been more involving, and a lot more complex. It looks good, and it’s often amusing, but it has unrealized potential.