WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS (Rated PG-13, for profanity & thematic elements):  This sequel from the original 1987 film sets its sights on one important item - time.  That was then, this is now. 

Gordon Gekko ("Greed is good."), again played by Michael Douglas, returns from prison for his shady Wall Street dealings - humbled & at first shy about re-entering the wheeling-dealing world he so loved.  Now, cynically (maybe realistically?) he says, "Greed is legal," and he proceeds to prove it.  Enter a flashy, sharp-witted Jacob (Shia LaBeouf); Gekko immediately recognizes his talents and when he learns that the fellow is on the verge of  marrying his estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan), he enters the market to play the game - proving that he can still wield a mighty sword, win back his daughter's affection - and in a series of swift moves (reminiscent of "The Sting" in effervescent satisfaction), wins over the pragmatic competition -  all's well that ends well, with Gekko saying modestly, "It's not about the money; it's about the game."

What makes this sequel such amoral fun and generally pleasurable entertainment is that difference between the past & the present.  Gekko is right.  Times have changed.  Says one old-timer, "With the Ninja generation, we've got a bunch of machines telling us what to do." But the wheeling-dealing is still there, just sped up by modern electronic devices.

In an unending competition, rules remain as  power clothes, ultra fancy environments, fast talk, an aura of confidence, slick back-stabbing, and clever statements dealing entirely with money abound: "Money is  not the prime asset; it's time." "Money is a bitch who never sleeps."  "All's well with money in the right place & for the right reason." And, tangentially,  "In this business parents are the bones on which their children sharpen their teeth."

Overriding all this is one obvious fact, that these people are out to sell themselves & their deals on pure faith, behind-the-scenes knowledge, & calculated guesses - it's all they've got to go on, and as in a serious crap game, luck has very little to do with their success or failure.

Writer/director Oliver Stone's penchant for slick, detailed exposés is richly in evidence here.  Sharp dialog, delivered with enough speed & conviction to make it appear believable, backed by smoothly crafted production values and carefully directed cast (all very good, but with Douglas shining as ever), and a subject matter ripe for dissection - all adding up to a delightful 129-minues of sophisticated, playful fun.  The only fly in the ointment results from the intrusion of the side plot of hot & cold relationships among the main characters, which somehow dampens the cynical air that otherwise amuses us.  So who's perfect?  (Grade:  B)