MOVIE REVIEW - Wall Street Money Never Sleeps

It's been a long time since we've checked in with Director Oliver Stone's Wall Street characters like Gordon Gekko. But here we go, in Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps.

Michael Douglas reprises his fantastic role as the bad boy money man, Gordon Gekko from years ago. Gekko is now out of jail, and attempting to get back in the big money game. This time possibly using his 24 year old daughter and her fiance' in the process. Should be noted up front, Douglas is great in this movie.

As with most Stone directed movies, his version of things that have historical significance are told through his eyes. The way he sees it. He's been ruffling feathers in Hollywood for a few decades now, and he doesn't run from the fact he is controversial. He's good with it, and so is his movie going public. He generally gets an event, or person in the cross hairs and calls it they way he seer's it.

This movie does a few things very well. Stone really humanizes Gekko, and that is the movies strongest suit. Douglas is superb as he takes his character from shiest, to father, back to shiest, and a few roles in between. Douglas is better in this movie than the first one some 20 years ago. Good supporting cast too, with Josh Brolin, and Shia LaBeouf, and Frank Langella. A very eclectic soundtrack, and some slick Stone film editing give this movie a real nice feel for the most part.

But there is trouble here and there. First, this deals with the complete Wall Street meltdown of 2008. Much of the spoken words will go right over many heads with very technical financial talk and lingo. It would be easy to get lost a few times with its pace in very crucial scenes. Sometimes it's a bit too fast to really digest. In other scenes, this movie can be very draggy. Huge mistake too, there is a point where the Wall Street meltdown is going on, Gekko is lost somewhere and off camera for long periods of time. This movie is flat out better with Douglas in it. Not waiting in the wings. Seems at times, Stone forgot who the bread and butter was.

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps. There were a few parts where I wanted to sleep, but for the most part this is pretty good. Douglas is worth a ticket purchase. Not great... not perfect, but better than I thought it would be.