Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
(M) 133 minutes, 2/5
If ever there was a warning not to judge a movie's worthiness of being seen based on its trailer, it has to be this one.
The sequel of the 1987 film has a five-star trailer playing every five minutes on tellies at
the moment.
Sadly though, this story about the US bank collapse that led to the recent global financial crisis needs a bail-out of its own. The film starts with Gordon Gekko, the star of the original, being released from prison having served time for insider trading. It's the early 90s - which is made obvious by the presence of the gigantic cellphone he has just been handed back.
Gekko (Michael Douglas) meets Jackob Moore (Shia LeBeouf), who as well as being another "Wall St man" is engaged to Gekko's estranged daughter, Winnie (Carey Mulligan).
The story of the recent collapse plays out but, unless you're already well versed on what caused the economic meltdown we've heard so much about, you'll probably be as much in the dark as I was.
The plot may be complicated but the imagery is patronising - kids blow bubbles in the park and dominoes fall when the banks do.
LeBeouf's babyface innocence makes him a strange choice for the role of a money-hungry broker, but Mulligan's appearance makes for highlights.
Americans, who are more likely to have the knowledge of the story behind the movie, are giving it good reviews, but your average Kiwi may want to do their research first.
