Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Dir. Oliver Stone
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
“Someone reminded me I once said "Greed is good". Now it seems it's legal.”
This week we welcome back to the big screen the world’s favourite ‘80s financial scumbag Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Last seen dastardly taking Charlie Sheen’s profit-hungry apprentice for every penny he could and getting sent down to serve some white collar incarceration as a warning to all for those seduced by turning a quick buck through insider trading in the original Wall Street.
Now Gekko is released back onto Wall Street and his shark-like nature for a financial killing has not been dulled. Emerging back into a very different global economy to the one he left his path is crossed by a new hot shot young Wall Street trader named Jake Moore (Shia ‘Transformers’ LaBeouf) who is dating, and plans to marry, Gekko's daughter, liberal website editor Winnie (Carey ‘Public Enemies’ Mulligan).
It isn’t long before the young gun Jake is under the spell of the mighty but fallen corporate raider Gekko and planning a scam to rock the financial community and to find out who was responsible for the death of his mentor.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps could be seen as a needless rehash of the first film but thanks to the quality cast and some genuine affection for the old renegade Gekko (who for me is the financial equivalent of Hannibal Lecter). Unless you’ve been directly involved in the short-selling and subprime mortgage market collapse, you will probably be more interested in the human nature aspects of tale. It all cooks up nicely enough interest to hold your attention and make you care what happens – even if you can probably see the plot twists coming a mile away – everything looks good and will probably encourage a few impressionable wannabes to try for a career in the financial markets.
Jake is an idealistic crusader, trying to secure funding for a green fusion-energy company, whilst fending off his sponging mother (Susan Sarandon). You can almost hear Gekko licking his lips in anticipation of taking down his potential son-in-law who is unaware that his fiancé is sitting on a cool $100 million of her dad’s cash.
**Spoiler Alert** Unfortunately this sequel goes for a very unsatisfying ending – making it all sweetly sorted in a cloyingly sentimental ‘feel food’ cop out, which would have been infinitely better if left in the dark place that the plot takes the viewer to. **Spoiler Ends**
If you enjoyed the original Wall Street, then ‘Money Never Sleeps’ is worth checking – just don’t stake too much of your cash on it delivering everything you want it too!?
UNSEEN DELETED SCENE:
Gordon Gekko has his conciousness transferred into a virtual world in a 'Tron' style simulation - his avatar form has to battle random financial irregularities in the system from the insider!?
Darkmatters rating: ööööööö (7 financial takeovers out of 10)
Darkmatters quick reference guide: Action 5 / Style 6 / Babes 6 / Comedy 5 / Horror 3 / Spiritual Enlightenment 2
Things that made me happier than watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps this week:
1. Finding out that Darkmatters is quoted on the front cover of this DVD...
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