Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Back in 1987 when I was a little “wet behind the ears” I wanted to be Bud Fox, he was the hero of Wall Street, a few years later and of course I realised that the real money laid at the door of Wall Street’s villain Gordon Gekko, for over 20 years Wall Street has held a unique place in the movie industry, but late in 2009 came the news we all either wanted or dreaded, Wall Street was getting a sequel.

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Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf) is a young upcoming Wall Street trader, a loyal and conscientious worker who dreams of bigger and better things. The protégé of bank founder Louis Zaber (Frank Langella) Moore has a very bright future. From nowhere the shares of Zaber & Zaber fall through the flew, and Louis struggles to save the bank from the clutches of Bretton James (Josh Brolin), when a last ditch attempt fails Louis commits suicide, leaving the future of thousands of staff in jeopardy, and his protégé scarred from the events that ran up to his death. Moore realises where the fault lies, and desperately wants revenge, the only way he can think of achieving the task is under the mentorship of one time king of Wall Street Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), this relationship must however remain secret, for Moore and Gordon are connected in more than one way, Moore is dating Gekko’s daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan), and she wants nothing to do with her estranged father.

Before I begin I need to point out that despite some reviews Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is not a bad film, as a sequel to what in my opinion is one of the best movies of the 80’s however this is cut from a much different cloth. It’s a confusing affair watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, because despite the return of its star Douglas, cameo performances from Charlie Sheen reprising his role of Bud Fox, and a demented estate agent played by Sylvia Miles; and of course its director Oliver Stone, this movie feels like an imitator and a poor one at that. As the story begins to slowly unravel you cannot help but ask if this is a parody of a great classic, and this is a problem that haunts the entire movie. To engage in this movie you really need to almost erase all memories of 1987’s Wall Street, if you can manage that your fighting a battle you can win, and then, and only then will you be able to embrace the story for what it is.

I’d find it difficult to believe that anyone without prior experience of the stock exchange or high intelligence, would honestly be able to say they got all the aspects of the original Wall Street, no such chance here however the story level and the detail has been dumbed down to a level that anyone can take onboard. Sadly this also takes away some of the charm, it was god to revisit Wall Street and discover that you had figured out new aspects of the story, herein lies a problem, this is a one off movie, not something that will serve you well by repeat viewings, this is a one outing adventure.

For those that have found director Oliver Stone a little hard to tolerate over recent years, you really will find it difficult to feel his trademark on the movie. The grittiness is gone, as is the bitter agenda he seems to have been carrying out over his work, this is a much more clean and polished piece.

Douglas does feel a little out of place in the movie, he should be feeling at home, but this is a much different Gordon Gekko to the one we left behind 23 years ago; he bumbles about unrecognisable as Gekko, weaker less concerned for his image. But this is more than just character change, this feels an awful lot like either Douglas never wanted to return to the role, or budget demanded his return. One time Hollywood heavyweight, in recent years Douglas has been on a sliding slope, and you do tend to feel his performance here (up until the final quarter) is nothing more than an overblown cameo role.

Good screenwriting keeps the story compelling, as does the links with the past (I appreciate a slight contradiction from earlier comments), you wait patiently for the curve-balls to come, you also enjoy the slow unfolding storyline, the character development, the small victories, and the major defeats.

LeBeouf of course shines, he is proving to be a consistently like-able actor , and is joined by Doctor Who actress Carey Mulligan as the female lead, Mulligan is becoming a favourite in the key Hollywood players especially in light of her performance in the acclaimed “An Education”. While Brolin delivers a very capable performance as the arch villain of the piece, almost stealing the role that Douglas played in the original. The reuniting of Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas is an unpleasant addition to the movie, lots of nauseous “Blue Horseshoe loves Annacott Steel” and “Blue Star” references that come out of the actor’s mouth like a thick tarry vomit.

Music wise Stone obviously figured that the Talking Heads tracks worked well in the original movie, and leans heavily on the bands lead singer to deliver the vocal feel to the movie, 23 years on however and it does not work so well, despite the inclusion of the legendary return track from the original.

It’s a sad fact of life that you’ll find it impossible to erase the past, and if you loved the original, you’re not going to be happy here. This is something far different to the original, and you cannot shake that off no matter how hard you try.

Lost Boys - The Tribe

To help mark the 21^st anniversary of a horror classic, Lost Boys – The Tribe is a chance to revisit the feelings and emotions the original Lost Boys gave back in 1987. It’s strange to write a review of a sequel to a movie that a large percentage of those reading this will either have not seen or not heard of The Lost Boys. For those who do remember the movie, you rather like me are probably a little bit surprised that it has taken 21 years for a follow on movie to appear.

 

After the death of their parents Chris (Tad Hilgenbrink) and Nicole (Autumn Reeser) settle down in a small part of district of Malibu under the watchful eye of their crazy aunt. Chris is a small time hero, a surfer with a well established following, so it’s not surprising that Shane (Angus Sutherland) a mainstream surfing legend soon takes Chris under his wing. As Chris and Nicole attend a party at Shane’s house, a sinister undercurrent sweeps the event. While Lisa makes moves on Chris, Shane makes his moves on Nicole, tonight one of these siblings will become a vampire, and only one man can save them, Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman).

 

If you saw and enjoyed the original Lost Boys I guess it will not be the biggest surprise that this straight to DVD movie offering is the palest of comparisons to the original, though let it not be said it could have been an awful lot worse. Except the movie as a standalone piece and you may very well enjoy this, expect a follow on from the original with equal charm and charisma then you’ll get a rude awakening. Essentially Lost Boys – The Tribe is nothing more than a remake for a new generation, the story follows a very similar path, but because horror movie audiences have a stronger thirst for blood and a need for better effects things have dramatically moved on.

 

Thirty minutes in and your sat watching this poor man’s horror film and pretty much giving up the will to live, but then in marches Corey Feldman looking exactly the same as he did 21 years earlier, there is some differences of course, he now talks like he has been gargling with razorblades, and he has been given some genuinely funny lines, rather than just being a general joke. In a fiery showdown towards the end of the movie where Chris is fighting three vampires Feldman’s Edgar Frog marches in “Who ordered the stake?” he asks referring to the tool of death for a vampire rather than a lump of meat. With each new arrival on scene Feldman is given a typically similar cheesy quip that really endears the character to you. It’s strange but at these moments, it is just like you’re watching the original movie it does not matter if your original favourite Lost Boy was Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, or Alex Winter; the essence of the original Lost Boys is carried over on the shoulders of Feldman for every scene he inhabits. What could realistically have been a terrible car crash style mistake, actually for old fans of the original movie makes this the films only salvation.

 

For new viewers if you enjoy TV shows like Angel, The O.C. and Gossip Girl then this movie will be right up your street, a veritable mix of teen angst and vampire health issues. A heady cocktail of the three shows is shook up for you to deliver a new hybrid. It’s not essential to new viewers to see the original movie and to be honest with you it does not even help; however watch this, and if you enjoy it invest in a copy of the original and see how it should work properly, and at the same time enjoy what made horror the must have movie accessory of 1987, just three years after the genre was considered dead. All these alternative from the traditional vampire type movies (like Dracula), owe a great debt to The Lost Boys.

 

There was something else about the original Lost Boys that made it such a smash, it was a bestselling soundtrack. While Lost Boys – The Tribe does not even attempt to match up to the power of the originals score, there is a wonderful rescoring of the hit song “Cry Little Sister”; if you had any doubt in the back of your mind that you were watching a Lost Boys sequel then this will remind you.

 

To keep up the family side newcomer from the Sutherland family Angus follows in the path of his father Donald, and brother Kiefer. In fairness there is not much to separate the performance of Kiefer and Angus, they both have that special Sutherland chemistry. The other little familiar addition sadly saw censorship, as fans of the reality TV show The Two Corey’s will no doubt be aware fellow Lost Boy’s original and semi-hero of the original movie Corey Haim was due to make an appearance. Sadly Haim over the years has abused himself through drugs, alcohol, and sexual disregard Corey Haim initially the more popular of the two Corey’s had real problems with his lines (probably a dual meaning there). After cut after cut of Haim bungling his lines or being completely incoherent Haim was shown the door, with only one completed scene left in place. Fan’s of these namesakes will be pleased to find that Haim’s one completed scene is included in the movie, but as a special interlude during the final credits, turn off too quickly and you will miss this special scene, and the real tragedy is that Haim looks incredibly together, sadly had he been a little more on the money Lost Boys – The Tribe might well have been a very different movie.

 

The preview DVD I received had no special features, so I cannot tell you if there will be at the time of release in the UK on the 8^th of September. The DVD will be available as a separate feature, or as a double bill with the original.