Wall Street 2 Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Review: written June 2011

Though lacking bite, still enjoyable

More polished, more stylish, more melodramatic.. and yet somehow never as sharp and biting as the original, this is at once entertaining, enjoyable, and a little disappointing. The original Wall Street has dated somewhat since its 80's release - go watch it now, and you will more likely be amazed at the hair styles and synth-y soundtrack than the story. But it was a real zeitgeist movie, doing what Stone can do best - using a storyline in a movie to hold up a mirror to America, even if the angle is not the most flattering one.

This time round though, the edge is gone - the heat of the satire has somehow gone off the boil. Don't get me wrong, I still found this a good movie and entertaining, but it's more in a melodrama mould than the exposé of Stone's former glories.

The movie is set in 2008. Gecko has been released from prison, aged, but impassive enough for us to find it difficult to tell if the experience mellowed him, or embittered him. Into his life walks Shia Lebeouf, involved in a relationship with his estranged daughter. Amid the backdrop of one of the most significant years in decades for Wall Street, we follow the relationships of these three, and a few significant others. Plenty to enjoy on display - Leboeuf puts in a surprisingly decent performance, and age hasn't dulled the glint in Douglas eye.. there is still a tangible presence when he's on centre stage. Stone has accumulated some other surprising talents too.. Susan Sarandon, Eli Wallach amongst others.. but they exist in roles that are entirely dispensible from a story point of view. Sarandon in particular has a well played role as Laboeuf's mother, which nonetheless does nothing except slow the pace of the movie down. Perhaps the biggest star then, after Douglas, is Stone himself. Not in his on screen cameo, but as the director... the film is full of interesting stylistic flourishes and images which make the movie a visual treat. Alas, when you are noticing director's tricks and enjoying the soundtrack, perhaps it's a good indication the story is not as punchy as the director thinks it is.

Not a failure, indeed, worth watching - but this fails to capture the moment in the way its predecessor did.