The Mob (rewatch)

I was a little too generous in my previous review.  I don’t disagree with any of the text of the review, but the score is a notch too high.  Yes, Broderick Crawford is good as always, playing the tough guy with just a touch of world-weariness and a bit of teddy bear under the exterior.  Yes, the supporting performances are pretty good too, especially Richard Kiley and Ernest Borgnine.  Yes, there are some nice hard-boiled zingers in the dialogue and the film generally scratches the noir itch.  But it just doesn’t stand out enough to warrant special mention.  It’s the usual “infiltrating the organization” scenario with only one or two intriguing angles to the story.  It’s a perfectly watchable and even enjoyable movie, but it’s just too routine and familiar to be noteworthy.  Rating: Good

IMDb