Greetings again from the darkness. The much anticipated sequel to the 1987 original has Oliver Stone back in the director's seat and one of the most iconic characters in movie history, Gordon Gekko, being released from prison. Michael Douglas is back as GG and the film opens with his release from prison ... with no one there to pick him up. He is truly on his own.
Skip ahead a few years and we see Shia LeBeouf as Jake, a Wall Street hotshot working for Frank Langella, a Wall Street legend. It is very obvious that this legend, and Jake's mentor, is in deep trouble and the entire market is pretty wobbly. Sound familiar? Yep, it's 2008. Ahh yes, the juicy part ... Jake is getting engaged to the lovely Winnie (Carey Mulligan) who just happens to be Gordon Gekko's estranged daughter. Now we're rolling!
Turns out, the dirty tricks and back room deals didn't stop while Gekko was incarcerated. Josh Brolin plays a high roller for a thinly disguised firm that most will recognize as Goldman Sachs. Brolin thinks he was wronged a few years back by Langella and can't wait to get even when the opportunity presents itself in a meeting with the Treasury Secretary. Sound deliciously nasty? Well not so fast.
The movie steers away from much of the back-stabbing and dirty deal making that was so prevalent in the original. It even avoids much commentary on the scuzzy financial services industry leaders who managed to profit while all of our retirement plans and home values were plummeting. Instead, we get much melodramatic, sappy conversation about feelings and family and time. Apparently Gekko found a semblance of a soul while in prison. He's certainly not perfect, but this is not the wheeler-dealer that was so much fun to hiss in part one.
Oliver Stone tosses in some touches that help: Charlie Sheen reprises his Bud Fox role for a brief encounter with Gekko, there are some terrific shots of NYC and we get Sylvia Miles back as the Realtor - this time helping Jake dump his loft in a soft market. We even get 95 year old Eli Wallach whistling his way through a power role, complete with Jake's ringer playing the theme song to "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly". All fun aspects, but they don't offset the inordinate number of times we get people choking up and crying. Had to check the credits to see if Nora Ephron was co-director.
Bottom line, if you enjoyed the original, you probably owe it to yourself to see how Gekko has come full circle. The ride is fine, just not at the same level as we were treated 23 years ago.
Skip ahead a few years and we see Shia LeBeouf as Jake, a Wall Street hotshot working for Frank Langella, a Wall Street legend. It is very obvious that this legend, and Jake's mentor, is in deep trouble and the entire market is pretty wobbly. Sound familiar? Yep, it's 2008. Ahh yes, the juicy part ... Jake is getting engaged to the lovely Winnie (Carey Mulligan) who just happens to be Gordon Gekko's estranged daughter. Now we're rolling!
Turns out, the dirty tricks and back room deals didn't stop while Gekko was incarcerated. Josh Brolin plays a high roller for a thinly disguised firm that most will recognize as Goldman Sachs. Brolin thinks he was wronged a few years back by Langella and can't wait to get even when the opportunity presents itself in a meeting with the Treasury Secretary. Sound deliciously nasty? Well not so fast.
The movie steers away from much of the back-stabbing and dirty deal making that was so prevalent in the original. It even avoids much commentary on the scuzzy financial services industry leaders who managed to profit while all of our retirement plans and home values were plummeting. Instead, we get much melodramatic, sappy conversation about feelings and family and time. Apparently Gekko found a semblance of a soul while in prison. He's certainly not perfect, but this is not the wheeler-dealer that was so much fun to hiss in part one.
Oliver Stone tosses in some touches that help: Charlie Sheen reprises his Bud Fox role for a brief encounter with Gekko, there are some terrific shots of NYC and we get Sylvia Miles back as the Realtor - this time helping Jake dump his loft in a soft market. We even get 95 year old Eli Wallach whistling his way through a power role, complete with Jake's ringer playing the theme song to "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly". All fun aspects, but they don't offset the inordinate number of times we get people choking up and crying. Had to check the credits to see if Nora Ephron was co-director.
Bottom line, if you enjoyed the original, you probably owe it to yourself to see how Gekko has come full circle. The ride is fine, just not at the same level as we were treated 23 years ago.