In 1987 Oliver Stone’s Wall Street was an affront to the greed and excess overtaking the stock market and economy. In 2010, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is an affront to the greed and excess destroying the stock market and ecomony today.
Based on characters created by Oliver Stone and Stanley Weiser, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps stars Shia LaBeouf as Jake, a young stock trader determined to make a name for himself on Wall Street. After the market crashes and Jake’s company goes under, Jake takes on a vendetta to find who is responsible for the fall of his company and death of his mentor. Desperate for answers, Jake decides to seek help from ex-con and Wall Street guru Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who also happens to be his fiancée’s (Carey Mulligan) father.
Wall Street 2 is like many of Oliver Stone’s Americana inspired films; good characters, controversial subject matter, and although you know where the director is going, it takes him awhile to get there. The American Film Institute named the character of "Gordon Gekko" number 24 on their list of greatest villains in American film history. In the 80’s, Gekko embodied everything that was right and wrong with Wall Street. He was smug, ruthless, greedy, and powerful. Gekko was the character everyone loved to hate, because he put a face on the monster that was New York’s stock market. In Wall Street 2, Stone again tries to make the character of Gekko relevant and poignant for the current financial climate by setting the film in 2008 when the ‘great recession’ was first starting to plummet. Gekko represents the Wall Street that was, and the film tries to focus on the real monster facing America now; big banks. Gekko is sprinkled throughout the film spreading his mantras and wisdom (just like in the original): “It's not about the money - It's about the game.” “It's easy to get in - it's hard to get out.” “Children sharpen their teeth on the bones of their parents..” Douglas plays the character of Gordon Gekko with the same ease and fight he did in 1987; trying a little too hard to pick-up where the character left off. Douglas’s costar, Shia LaBeouf is no Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), but that is not a bad thing. LaBeouf’s performance shows he is maturing not only as an actor, but also as a leading man. LaBeouf showed the most skill during the intense scenes between him and Carey Mulligan. It was not by chance Stone picked LaBeouf to star as his young up-and-comer trying make a name for himself in a big city.
This is the first sequel Oliver Stone has ever made. That sounds impressive until you peruse Stone’s filmography. Making a sequel to JFK or Nixon would definitely be a feat, although probably difficult to sell tickets. The current economy made for the perfect environment for Stone to embark on his first continuation film. Wall Street 2 is a fine sequel to an iconic film. The film will keep you interested, the characters will keep your attention, but the pace might slow your excitement. The film has a runtime of 133 minutes, which means it is about fifteen minutes too long. The plot is not the most original, but it is interesting. If the film had been crisper, that interesting plot could have translated into an enthralling drama. In true Oliver Stone fashion, he wastes a little too much time on his soap box and not enough on the characters’ development. Having said that, based on Stone’s track record with mixing politics and film, the director could have jumped off the deep end by really twisting the dagger in the backs of corporate America. So for a director like Stone, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is really a quiet rage.
Bottom Line: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is not better than the original, but that should not come as a shock. What might surprise you is that Oliver Stone made a sequel that can stand on its own. The starring cast is strong and the story grabs you just enough to keep your interest. The film’s length works against your enjoyment, but the themes are relevant and the performances are noteworthy. Wall Street 2 is exactly what you expect out of a sequel 20-years and coming; it is just okay.
Starring: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, and Josh Brolin
Director: Oliver Stone
Release Date: September 24, 2010
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