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"GANGSTER SQUAD"
(2013) (Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling) (R)


Alcohol/Drugs Heavy
Blood/Gross Stuff Extreme
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Extreme
Frightening/Tense Scenes Heavy
Gun/Weapons Extreme
Imitative Behavior Heavy
Jump Scenes Mild
Music (Scary/Tense) Extreme
Music (Inappropriate) None
Profanity Extreme
Sex/Nudity Heavy
Smoking Extreme
Tense Family Scenes Heavy
Topics to Talk About Heavy
Violence Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Drama/Action: A small team of post WWII LAPD cops attempts to undermine the rule of a mobster who's essentially running Los Angeles.
PLOT:
It's 1949 Los Angeles and former boxer turned celebrity mobster Mickey Cohen (SEAN PENN) essentially runs the city of Los Angeles, not only through his own goons -- including Jack Whalen (SULLIVAN STAPLETON)-- but also the cops, judges and others under his control. Chief Parker (NICK NOLTE) of the LAPD is one of the few not in his pocket and he wants the mobster shut down.

Accordingly, he enlists the aid of LAPD cop Sgt. John O'Mara (JOSH BROLIN) -- a WWII vet who doesn't always play by the book -- to draft a small team of lawmen to work undercover to undermine Cohen's various rackets that include drugs, prostitution and, if he has his way, all of the betting action west of Chicago.

While John's pregnant wife, Connie (MIREILLE ENOS), isn't thrilled at all by the idea, she decides if he's going to do that, she's going to help him pick his team. Among them are veteran gunslinger cop Max Kennard (ROBERT PATRICK) and his new associate, Officer Navidad Ramirez (MICHAEL PEŅA); brainiac and family man Officer Conwell Keeler (GIOVANNI RIBISI); Officer Coleman Harris (ANTHONY MACKIE) who's keen on stopping the heroin trade in his neighborhood; and fellow WWII vet Sgt. Jerry Wooters (RYAN GOSLING).

Jerry initially isn't interested, and mainly uses his badge to get him into nightclubs and such. He'd also rather spend time with Grace Faraday (EMMA STONE), a former aspiring actress who just so happens to be Cohen's doll, something their mutual friend Jack thinks is nothing short of playing with fire.

But when a mob hit accidentally includes his favorite shoeshine boy, Jerry joins the team and they begin their campaign of upsetting Cohen's various ventures. The mobster initially thinks that's the work of rivals, but when he eventually figures out it's cops, their lives along with Grace's immediately face increased peril.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Those who are fans of period gangster films may be interested, as might fans of anyone in the cast.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong violence and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JOSH BROLIN plays a WWII veteran turned LAPD cop who doesn't always play by the full rules, much to the chagrin of his pregnant wife. Due to his reputation, and the fact that he can't shake the fight instinct brought on by the war, he's recruited by Chief Parker to head up a secret and small task force to try to disrupt the various rackets run by mobster Mickey Cohen in Los Angeles. He takes to that task with reckless abandon, often putting himself and his team in harm's way without a well thought-out plan. He can be very violent when he decides. He drinks in several scenes and uses profanity.
  • RYAN GOSLING plays another cop who John asks to join him with his quest to oust the mobsters. He initially declines as he doesn't have much fight left in him and lets lots of stuff slide while on duty. But that changes when his favorite shoeshine boy is gunned down, which prompts his change of heart. He can also be very violent, drinks, smokes nearly all of the time, and is carrying on an affair with Grace despite knowing she's the head mobster's doll.
  • SEAN PENN plays the former boxer turned mobster who now runs most of Los Angeles through his various criminal endeavors (drugs, prostitution and, he hopes, wire betting), as well as having various cops, officials and more on his payroll. He isn't pleased when anything goes wrong with any of that and kills or has others killed on his behalf. He uses strong profanity and drinks some.
  • EMMA STONE plays a former aspiring actress turned mob doll who's Cohen's girl, but she also carries on an affair with Jerry despite knowing full-well the danger that puts both of them in. She smokes in various scenes.
  • ROBERT PATRICK plays a veteran gunslinger style cop who John recruits to be on his team. Deadly serious but with a sense of humor, he's an expert shot and uses that skill to kill many bad guys. He also smokes cigars in various scenes.
  • MICHAEL PEŅA plays his new acquaintance who's had a hard time being accepted due to his Mexican heritage, and thus jumps at the chance to join the team. He also shoots many people.
  • ANTHONY MACKIE plays another cop on John's team who's there because he's tired of what heroin is doing to his neighborhood. Proficient with both guns and knives, he also kills various bad guys.
  • GIOVANNI RIBISI plays the last member of the team and the brainiac of the bunch who handles most of their late 1940s technical work. A husband and father, he wants his city to be a safer place for his family. He uses strong profanity and can be violent when needed.
  • NICK NOLTE plays the chief of police who tasks John to deal with Cohen's mob-based iron grip on the city, knowing full-well that the mission is illegal. He drinks some.
  • MIREILLE ENOS plays John's pregnant wife who thinks he's taking too many unnecessary risks due to how the war changed him, and sees his latest quest as just another sign of that, and a very dangerous one. Hoping to keep him safe, she helps pick out the members of his team.
  • SULLIVAN STAPLETON plays a goon who works for Cohen but is also friends with Jerry, a situation that puts him in potential harm's way. He drinks some.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated, dramatic action pic. Profanity consists of at least 20 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, while off-screen sex is implied (the couple is seen in bed the next morning) and an exotic dancer is seen (including with just tassels on her otherwise bare breasts).

    Violence includes people being killed or wounded by various means (mostly gunfire but also explosions, a fire, knives thrown into people, being torn in half while chained to two cars, losing a hand, etc.), while all sorts of brutal fighting and striking of others is present, and there's an attempted group rape. Much of that gun violence and fistfights has bloody and some gory results, and those scenes and moments of peril could be unsettling and/or suspenseful to viewers. Some of that behavior might be enticing for kids to imitate, while bad attitudes are present.

    Drinking and a great deal of smoking occur in many scenes, while there are references to drugs (and some packages of heroin are briefly seen, but no use is). Tense family material and thematic elements are also present.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Jerry drinks from a flask.
  • There's talk of Cohen keeping people hopped up on Mexican dope.
  • Various people drink in a club, including Cohen, his cronies and those on his payroll, while Jack and Jerry drink across the room.
  • Chief Parker has a drink.
  • When Grace asks Jerry where he's been all of her life, he jokingly replies, "Drinking."
  • Jerry has a drink in a bar.
  • Seeing a drug deal going down, Coleman throws a knife through a man's hand to stop that. After seeing that, John asks Coleman if he can buy him a drink. Coleman says that since he's on duty, he should make that two. Coleman then talks of the heroin problem in his neighborhood, including that he lost his niece to that.
  • Jack orders a drink.
  • People have drinks in a gambling parlor.
  • Jerry appears a bit intoxicated.
  • Someone mentions that Cohen has the lock on the whore and dope business in Los Angeles.
  • We see beer by John and his team.
  • About listening to audio from Cohen's place, Conwell mentions a heroin shipment. We later see packages of that moved from a plane into a truck.
  • John and Jerry have beer, while Chief Parker and his assistant arrive with some cases of beer.
  • John's team has drinks.
  • Cohen refers to Chief Parker as a "sadistic, Bible-thumping boozer."
  • Jack has a beer.
  • The team hears that there's going to be a heroin shipment in Chinatown.
  • Cohen has a drink.
  • Jerry and John share a flask.
  • Cohen has wine in front of him with dinner.
  • BLOOD/GROSS STUFF
  • We hear John (via voice-over narration) talk of the brothels, vice and blood on the streets of Los Angeles.
  • We see that Cohen and his goons have control of two men. One's standing and a bit bloodied, while the other is on the ground, chained to two cars. When he won't give Cohen what he wants, the mobster gives the order and one car moves a bit, causing the also bloodied man pain. When that doesn't work, Cohen has one or both cars move more, thus ripping the man in half (with bloody results, seen from a distance), followed by two wolves rushing in and feeding on that (only partially seen).
  • A man's hand ends up cut off after it goes through the open elevator car opening.
  • We see three bloody men after John has beaten them up, while John has slightly bloody cuts on his cheek and lip. We later see various bruises and small cuts on him as his wife bathes him in a bathtub.
  • A shoeshine boy is bloody after being shot, and Jerry has that boy's blood on him after cradling the kid.
  • Coleman uses a switchblade to nick a racist sheriff's chin, drawing a little bit of blood.
  • An informant appears to have a blood-soaked bandage around his hand (from where Coleman earlier threw a knife).
  • Cohen tells some subordinates, "You know the drill" regarding another subordinate who disappointed him. We then see a power drill directed toward that man's head. The camera then moves behind a glass block wall and we see blood splatter all over that from the other side.
  • We see a montage of John and his team dealing with various criminals, some of which has bloody results.
  • Goons open fire on John's house, sending his very pregnant wife to the floor, scrambling for safety. When John later arrives and finds cops there, he rushes inside to find a bloody trail smeared on the floor into the bathtub. He then sees his wife slumped inside that, but then sees that she's alive and holding her just-delivered and still somewhat bloody baby.
  • Cohen and two goons arrive at Jack's place looking for Grace. Jack fights and defeats the goons, but Cohen then shoots him in the gut (with bloody results). He then kicks him into the pool and shoots him several more times, and we see blood in the pool water.
  • John punches Jerry (for trying to stop him from storming Cohen's mansion), leaving Jerry with a bloody nose and lip.
  • We see some blood (a lot in one instance) during a gun battle where various people are shot.
  • Both John and Cohen are bloody during and after a brutal fistfight, while we see Cohen later having his mug shot taken with a bloodied face.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Cohen is a mobster who runs much of Los Angeles through intimidation and having cops, judges and others on his payroll. He's involved in various criminal enterprises (drugs, prostitution, etc.) and wants to control the gambling business. He's responsible for many murders, as are his cronies.
  • Chief Parker asks John to create a small, secret task force to drive Cohen out of business, much of which involves illegal activity as well as the killing of many bad guys.
  • John has a reputation for bending the law (such as acting before having a search warrant) and thus agrees to head up that task force, while those who join him also end up bending and breaking the law.
  • A person uses the term "Wop."
  • A man lures a young woman into a building under the pretense that she's going in for an acting audition. Once inside a room there, she's slapped, thrown to a bed and about to be raped by one or more men (until John arrives and interrupts them).
  • When a nervous subordinate says, "I swear to God," Cohen replies that he is God, so the man might as well swear.
  • Cohen refers to Indians of the past as "Redskins."
  • For those opposed to gambling, some of that occurs in one of Cohen's parlors.
  • A white sheriff refers to Coleman (who's black) as "boy."
  • Cohen refers to Chief Parker as a "sadistic, Bible-thumping boozer."
  • Cohen refers to Grace as "red sn*tch" when asking about her whereabouts.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gross Stuff" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material.
  • We see that Cohen and his goons have control of two men. One's standing and a bit bloodied, while the other is on the ground, chained to two cars. When he won't give Cohen what he wants, the mobster gives the order and one car moves a bit, causing the also bloodied man pain. When that doesn't work, Cohen has one or both cars move more, thus ripping the man in half (with bloody results, seen from a distance), followed by two wolves rushing in and feeding on that (only partially seen).
  • A man lures a young woman into a building under the pretense that she's going in for an acting audition. Once inside a room there, she's slapped, thrown to a bed and about to be raped by one or more men (until John arrives and interrupts them).
  • Cohen has a building set on fire, with three subordinates who disappointed him locked inside an elevator car. We briefly see them screaming in the flames.
  • John's team sneaks into Cohen's mansion at night, hoping to plant a listening device. They must avoid being spotted by the guards, while we then see Cohen arriving home and they have to scurry out.
  • Goons open fire on John's house, sending his very pregnant wife to the floor, scrambling for safety. When John later arrives and finds cops there, he rushes inside to find a bloody trail smeared on the floor into the bathtub. He then sees his wife slumped inside that, but then sees that she's alive and holding her just-delivered and still somewhat bloody baby.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Rifles/Shotguns/Machine guns/Hand grenades/Knives: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • We see Max on a magazine cover holding his pistols. When John meets him, Max quickly pulls his pistol on him to show John how fast he is.
  • John and his team do some target practice shooting. To show his proficiency, Max throws a can into the air and keeps it up there with repeated shots that hit it. Navidad tries the same but misses, and then shoots the can on the ground.
  • John's team sneaks into Cohen's mansion at night, carrying weapons.
  • Molotov cocktails are thrown into a paint store, causing a large explosion.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "This is the wild-f*cking-west," "It's my f*cking destiny, you motherf*cker," "Who the f*ck is this guy?" "F*ck you," "F*cking insane," "What the f*ck happened here?" "You motherf*cker," "Don't f*ck it up," "Bullsh*t," "Oh sh*t," "You gotta be sh*tting me," "You're a demon in the sack," "Keep it in your pants," "I haven't been sophisticated in weeks," "You had all the p*ssy you could ask for," "You'll wake up one morning with the best part of you stuffed in your mouth," "A world-class whore monger," "Red sn*tch," "Wops," "You're certifiable," "Bastard," "You sick son of a bitch," "The hell you doing?" "It was the damndest thing," "Smart ass," "Hell no," "You're a peach," "You dumb ass," "Knucklehead," "Damn right," "Redskins," "A real pain in my ass," "Boy" (what a white sheriff calls a black man), "Go to hell," "How the hell should I know?" "Hop-along," "Get your ass out of here," "That sadistic, Bible-thumping boozer" and "You G*ddamn suicidal son of a bitch."
  • Some of the violence and other action might be enticing for some kids to imitate.
  • John pretends he has a gun in his pocket by having his hand inside that.
  • Grace wears a curvy dress with a slit high up her thigh.
  • John and his team do some target practice shooting. To show his proficiency, Max throws a can into the air and keeps it up there with repeated shots that hit it. Navidad tries the same but misses, and then shoots the can on the ground.
  • Jerry has a tattoo on his arm.
  • Molotov cocktails are thrown into a paint store, causing a large explosion.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Some firecrackers explode as a tense scene builds.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of suspenseful, some ominous and some heavily dramatic music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 20 "f" words (2 used with "mother"), 9 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck" and "c*cksucker"), 2 using female ones ("p*ssy" and "sn*tch"), 1 slang term for sex ("sophisticated" as a sexual verb), 14 hells, 8 asses, 8 S.O.B.s, 7 damns, 10 uses of "G-damn," 3 of "Jesus Christ," 2 each of "For Christ's sakes" and "Jesus" and 1 use each of "Oh Jesus" and "Swear to God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We hear John (via voice-over narration) talk of the brothels, vice and blood on the streets of Los Angeles.
  • A man lures a young woman into a building under the pretense that she's going in for an acting audition. Once inside a room there, she's slapped, thrown to a bed and about to be raped by one or more men (until John arrives and interrupts them).
  • Connie bathes John in a bathtub (he in it, we see his bare chest, while she's outside it, fully clothed). While listing his attributes, she includes that he's a "demon in the sack." The scene ends with the two kissing.
  • We briefly see a scantily clad woman in a flashback.
  • Not meant literally, Jack jokingly tells Jerry, "Keep it in your pants." When Jerry wonders who Grace is, Jack jokes that she's Cohen's couture doll and that he's now getting sophisticated. Jerry then jokes that he hasn't been "sophisticated" (sexually) in weeks.
  • Grace wears a curvy dress with a slit high up her thigh.
  • Jerry and Grace engage in some playfully suggestive banner in a club, with him saying he likes to play post office. She says that's a kid's game, but he says not the way he plays it. Moments later, he tells her he was hoping to take her to bed.
  • We see Grace partially laying atop Jerry in bed under the covers in the morning, presumably after sex. We see some of her bare back and just part of the side of her bare breast, along with some brief kissing. She then rolls off him and the sheet covers her chest and downward.
  • We see an exotic dancer doing her thing in a club in just a bra and panties, and we then see her swinging her otherwise bare breasts around with tassels covering her nipples (Jerry is watching this).
  • A rival mobster can't understand Cohen's behavior, telling him "You had all the p*ssy you could ask for." He then reminds him of the mobster lifestyle, telling him "You'll wake up one morning with the best part of you stuffed in your mouth."
  • Jerry tells a young shoeshine boy that the only thing the latter should be worried about is getting his hands up some girl's skirt.
  • Someone mentions that Cohen has the lock on the whore and dope business in Los Angeles.
  • Jerry plants a big kiss on Grace after she's surprised to find him in Cohen's mansion.
  • About listening to audio from Cohen's place, Conwell mentions that a judge is "world class whore monger."
  • We see Cohen shirtless while watching old boxing footage of him and an opponent (both shirtless in the ring).
  • A club singer wears a midriff-revealing top.
  • Two goons show up with the intent of throwing acid onto Grace. Jerry intervenes and hits both, one of them very hard. He then aims his handgun at them and then pours the acid onto one man's clothed crotch.
  • Cohen refers to Grace as "red sn*tch" when asking about her whereabouts.
  • SMOKING
  • Jerry smokes at least 20 times, Max (cigars, sometimes unlit in his mouth)) does so around 10 times, Grace smokes several times, and minor/miscellaneous characters smoke in various scenes.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Connie isn't happy with the risks John is taking in the line of duty and they discuss that. When she learns he's going to head up a task force to take down Cohen, she leaves the room and we hear plates break (from her throwing them to the floor -- not seen).
  • Coleman talks of the heroin problem in his neighborhood, including that he lost his niece to that.
  • Goons open fire on John's house, sending his very pregnant wife to the floor, scrambling for safety. When John later arrives and finds cops there, he rushes inside to find a bloody trail smeared on the floor into the bathtub. He then sees his wife slumped inside that, but then sees that she's alive and holding her just-delivered and still somewhat bloody baby.
  • Connie leaves with her newborn infant (she's either leaving John or is being sent to safety, but she and John are seen together at the end of the film).
  • John sees the son of a young boy whose father has just been murdered. The kid is angry and stomps/kicks his own bicycle.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The film's historical accuracy and/or any artistic license taken with the real story.
  • Gangsters of the past vs. today's gangsters.
  • This film's initial theatrical release being delayed due to the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting of July 2012.
  • Coleman talks of the heroin problem in his neighborhood, including that he lost his niece to that.
  • Cohen stating his criminal endeavors in Los Angeles are his destiny.
  • Conwell wonders what the difference now is between them (the cops, breaking the law) and Cohen and his criminals.
  • The comment that if you lose everything but win the war, you're a hero. But if you lose everything and lose the war, you're a fool.
  • VIOLENCE
  • We see that Cohen and his goons have control of two men. One's standing and a bit bloodied, while the other is on the ground, chained to two cars. When he won't give Cohen what he wants, the mobster gives the order and one car moves a bit, causing the also bloodied man pain. When that doesn't work, Cohen has one or both cars move more, thus ripping the man in half (with bloody results, seen from a distance), followed by two wolves rushing in and feeding on that (only partially seen).
  • Seeing that a man is about to take advantage of a young woman (who he takes inside a building), John follows and gets into an elevator with two thugs. When they realize he's a cop, they attack, but John fends them off with various hard blows while also struggling over one's gun. That ends up going off and shooting the other man, while the first man's hand ends up cut off after it goes through the open elevator car opening.
  • Moments before that, a man lures a young woman into a building under the pretense that she's going in for an acting audition. Once inside a room there, she's slapped, thrown to a bed and about to be raped by one or more men until John arrives. He ends up fighting the three men, beginning with hitting one with a table while avoiding a switchblade thrust his way. There are many hard blows (including him bashing one partially through a closed window) that eventually leave those three bloodied and subdued.
  • Cohen has a building set on fire, with three subordinates who disappointed him locked inside an elevator car. We briefly see them screaming in the flames.
  • Chief Parker's assistant knocks down a reporter.
  • Connie isn't happy with the risks John is taking in the line of duty and they discuss that. When she learns he's going to head up a task force to take down Cohen, she leaves the room and we hear plates break (from her throwing them to the floor -- not seen).
  • Seeing a drug deal going down, Coleman throws a knife through a man's hand to stop that.
  • John and his team intend to disrupt one of Cohen's gambling parlors and enter with their guns drawn, and one fires a shot into the air while John punches one guy in the gut. Some police are there, however, and fire at the men as they then attempt to flee, with some brief shooting back (no one is hit).
  • A cop hits John over the head or back with something, while a belt or something similar is wrapped around Coleman's neck.
  • Some rival gang members show up and open fire on people on the street with Tommy guns and shotguns. At least one man is hit, which also holds true for Jerry's favorite shoeshine boy. Enraged at the boy's death, Jerry shoots and wounds one gunman, retrieves that man's shotgun, and kills him (we don't see the impact). Jerry then goes into Cohen's club intent on killing the mobster, but Jack sees him first and pushes him into the bathroom to stop him.
  • There's a fight in and in front of a jail cell between John and his team and some local cops and two of Cohen's thugs. Punches are thrown and shots fired, but it doesn't appear anyone is shot. As they're about to leave, Coleman uses a switchblade to nick the racist sheriff's chin, drawing a little bit of blood.
  • A smoke bomb or tear gas is sent into a mobster's house. A maid is shot dead, followed by another person and then the mobster and his wife.
  • Coleman pins an informant to a wall and then bends his wrist to make him talk.
  • John and his team chase after several of Cohen's men in vehicles as the latter are transporting drugs. The goons fire machine guns at the cops who return fire with handguns. During this, several goons are shot, and one car crashes, while one goon throws grenades at the cops. One explodes in front of them, while the other lands on their hood and has to be tossed away quickly, with it exploding right behind them. The chase continues, with the cops bumping that goon's car, causing the goon to drop his grenade inside the car. It explodes, killing him and others. The cops then cause a large truck to crash and it rolls down an embankment. John and his team then have two of those men and want to send a message back to Cohen. Accordingly, John shoots right next to both of them and then shoots one in the leg before both men are sent tumbling down a hill.
  • Cohen tells some subordinates, "You know the drill" regarding another subordinate who disappointed him. We then see a power drill directed toward that man's head. The camera then moves behind a glass block wall and we see blood splatter all over that from the other side.
  • We see a montage of John and his team dealing with various criminals. During that, Coleman repeatedly kicks one man who Navidad then punches, while John hits another. People are hit during a raid, while Molotov cocktails are thrown into a paint store, causing a large explosion. More people are hit (some with bloody results), while John hits someone with his rifle, and a vehicle explodes.
  • We briefly see old footage of boxing blows in the ring.
  • Max and Coleman hit a man, while another person is hit with a shotgun and a person is partially blasted through a window or glass door. Others are pushed around, while one is shot after shooting at John's team. Max then shoots several more, while Navidad shoots one. They then set Cohen's gambling money ablaze, and we later see the charred remains of that room.
  • Cohen hits and repeatedly kicks a cop.
  • Cohen swipes things off a table and throws other stuff to the wall and floor while mad, and a maid hurries Grace out of the mansion so she isn't harmed.
  • Two goons show up with the intent of throwing acid onto Grace. Jerry intervenes and hits both, one of them very hard. He then aims his handgun at them and then pours the acid onto one man's clothed crotch.
  • The team arrives in Chinatown to disrupt a heroin shipment, but we realize (before they do) that it's a trap. The truck driver lets gasoline leak from the bottom of the truck, while one man lures John into following him. Various kids set off firecrackers during this, with Jerry rushing there to stop the ambush. He fires his gun into the air, but the goon throws his cigarette into the puddle of gasoline, and the resultant truck explosion knocks down John and several bystanders. That's followed by a gun battle where various people are shot, including Coleman, but he then throws his knife into the chest of his shooter.
  • SPOILER ALERT: A goon comes up behind one team member and strangles him to death, with that goon's coat catching on fire, but he quickly removes that and is unharmed.
  • Goons open fire on John's house, sending his very pregnant wife to the floor, scrambling for safety. When John later arrives and finds cops there, he rushes inside to find a bloody trail smeared on the floor into the bathtub. He then sees his wife slumped inside that, but then sees that she's alive and holding her just-delivered and still somewhat bloody baby.
  • Cohen and two goons arrive at Jack's place looking for Grace. Jack fights and defeats the goons, but Cohen then shoots him in the gut (with bloody results). He then kicks him into the pool and shoots him several more times, and we see blood in the pool water.
  • John punches Jerry (for trying to stop him from storming Cohen's mansion), leaving Jerry with a bloody nose and lip.
  • John sees the son of a young boy whose father has just been murdered. The kid is angry and stomps/kicks his own bicycle.
  • John's team arrives at a hotel to arrest Cohen, but the mobster's goons have other plans. A large gun battle then breaks out on the street where several goons are shot, followed by John and Jerry getting inside and shooting more goons during a second large gun battle. During that, Jerry's clip is empty and John slides him one but it ends up short, out in plain sight. Jerry then runs and slides across the floor to get it, while being shot at. He then shoots and kills the man after him, while John shoots another man dead. John and Cohen then get into a massive gun battle. Back outside, Max shoots a man on the roof who's been shooting a large machine gun, but ends up shot and wounded.
  • John runs after a getaway car and jumps on the back and grabs Cohen through the opening. They struggle and Cohen's gun fires and hits the driver. John then jumps or falls off the out of control car that hits a fountain with Cohen inside. After Max shoots a man about to kill John, the latter and Cohen get into a brutal fistfight, with both delivering hard blows. John finally gets the upper hand and also knees Cohen, bashes him into the car's window, and then throws him down to the pavement hard. There, he pummels his face repeatedly, with very bloody results.



  • Reviewed January 7, 2013 / Posted January 11, 2013

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