Many years ago, financial hawk Gordon Gekko was on top of the world. Running the stock market makes any man powerful, but Gekko couldn’t have enough. He made mistakes, and ended up in jail. On the outside, his family was in shambles. His daughter, Winnie, resented her father for not being there for the family. His son, Rudy, got heavily into drugs. Now, Gordon is out of prison, and looking to piece his life together. However, Gekko isn’t just looking to repair his relationship with his daughter. He’s looking for revenge.

The story is set in 2008, before the financial meltdown of the money sector. At times, we see little charts pop up to show financial statistics, like the free-fall of the Dow Industrial. Gekko gets out of jail to a Wall Street that has embraced the greed he sought in the 80s. Young Jacob works for a firm run by the man who has mentored him for over a decade. Then, when rumors circulate about toxic assets held by the company, the firm goes under, and Jacob’s mentor kills himself. A vulnerable Jacob sets out to connect with his future father-in-law, who hasn’t spoken to his daughter Winnie in years. Gekko believes the housing bubble will burst, and big, but no one believes him because of his criminal record. He advises Jacob on a plan to help bring down the man responsible for the rumors that led to the destruction of his former employer/friend. But Gekko isn’t just helping out a young money man, he has a plan of his own.

The cast stands out in all aspects. Michael Douglas brings his A game, bringing both emotional and sinister weight to his role. It’s an iconic character, and Douglas shows he’s evolved it to where we as a nation are now. Shia LaBeouf gives a great performance as well. You sympathize with him when he loses his mentor, and want to see him get revenge. However, much like Bud in the first film, he goes beyond the limits to achieve his goal. Josh Brolin plays a great villain, and does a good job showing the dark side of Wall Street.

I found myself wondering where Michael Douglas was at the beginning of the movie. It starts with Gekko leaving prison, then he’s not in the movie for half an hour. The setup of Winnie and Jacob’s lives is good, and we see where Jacob is and how he acts before Gekko gets his hands on him. So much of the movie relies on the audience understanding how certain financial sectors work. It feels like a polished PowerPoint in an Economics 201 class. The first film isn’t a necessary watch to follow the story, but a subscription to The Wall Street Journal might be.

Fanboyz Grade: C+