Preview: Gangster Squad (2013)

Synopsis:

As Los Angeles falls deeper under the control of a powerful mob boss, a group of cops return their badges and begin taking the law and the destruction of the mob into their own hands.

• Poster: B

Review:

Emma Stone's tidbit of an appearance on the poster will likely do more to sell the film than anything else. It's straight forward poster design that isn't terribly exciting, but isn't entirely worthless either.

• Trailer: (B-) / B-

Review:

(The banner of the Apple trailer page is quite interesting, but the film looks less so. There are some fine actors and actresses in this production and it could be a great deal of fun, but there's something off about the film as portrayed in the trailer.)

After the shooting in Aurora, Colo., producers pulled the film's 2012 release and pushed it into 2012 to eliminate a single scene in the film (and the original trailer) of gunmen opening fire in a crowded theater. While excising that scene doesn't add to or take away from the film, this second trailer seems far more interesting than the first even if it's more traditionally constructed.

Oscar Prospects:

A lot depends on how well the film is received by audiences and critics. It could be one of the year's big contenders, but the trailer doesn't give me much hope of that.

Release Date:

• January 11, 2013

-Wesley Lovell (May 13, 2012) Original

-Wesley Lovell (October 14, 2012) New Release Date (changed from "Coming Soon"); New Trailer; New Poster