Gangster Squad: All Style, No Soul? My Theory...

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "Gangster Squad." Visually? Absolutely gorgeous. That whole neo-noir aesthetic dialed up to 11. The costumes, the cars, the sets – chef's kiss. But...and this is a HUGE but...did anyone else feel like it was all sizzle and no steak? Like they spent so much time making it look cool that they forgot to give the characters any actual depth? My theory is they were so focused on recreating that classic gangster movie vibe – think "L.A. Confidential" but somehow even more stylized – that they kinda glossed over the motivations and relationships. Like, Josh Brolin's character, Sgt. O'Mara, he's supposed to be this righteous dude, but he mostly just frowns and shoots people. And Ryan Gosling? Don't get me wrong, always love Gosling, but his romance felt forced and rushed. Felt like it needed more time to breathe and connect. Remember that scene when he just randomly decides to help O'Mara? Just felt...off. I think the biggest problem is Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). He was over the top, which, fine, it's Sean Penn! But it felt like he was playing a cartoon villain half the time. Like, where's the substance? Where's the real menace beyond just yelling a lot and being generally unpleasant? There were moments, glimpses, of potential, but they were quickly buried under the weight of the film's obsession with looking cool. The ending? So bland. Like they didn't know how to end it, so they just threw a bunch of bullets at the screen and called it a day. So, yeah, gorgeous to look at, but ultimately hollow. I'm starting to think it's a case where style actively sabotaged the substance. Prove me wrong, though! Anyone have a different take? Maybe I missed something.