Set in 1985, during one of the biggest bull markets in our history, Wall Street follows fledgling stock broker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) as he works his way through the daily grind until he finally nabs a deal with one of the stock market's high rollers, Gekko.
Based on information he learned from his father, played by Martin Sheen, Bud tells his new client of an unannounced court decision that will make a small airline, Bluestar, a much more appealing investment in the future. This tidbit, despite the use of such knowledge being illegal, catches Gekko's eye and is Bud's way into his good graces.
From there, Gekko teaches the new associate how to get similar information from other companies and Charlie Sheen's character does whatever it takes to get the information necessary to make the right decisions on Wall Street. As Fox spirals deeper into Gekko's life, he also falls for a lovely blond, Darien (Darryl Hannah), who is used to the high life and Buddy's new position is getting him everything he ever wanted, including Darien.
Meanwhile, Buddy's old life is being left in the dust. His co-workers, Marvin (a young John C. McGinley from Scrubs), Lou (Hal Holbrook) and boss Lynch (James Karen) have all noticed a change in Buddy's attitude. Meanwhile, Buddy's father is starting to see his son in a new light, and he isn't liking what he is seeing, especially when Gekko decides to focus on Bluestar, instead of just letting it be a back-of-the-stove investment.
For a special edition designed to get people pumped up for the new Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps film, there aren't a lot of additional features in the Insider Trading Edition to write home about. The release is on two discs, the first one containing the original Oliver Stone commentary, while the second disc contains a few new tidbits like a short conversation with the new film's cast, a commercial for Money Never Sleeps, a discussion about the film's impact hosted by Tom Rothman and a trivia track that scrolls many interesting facts along the bottom of the film as you re-watch it.
Wall Street is a good movie, and all of the main characters are portrayed well. Douglas' character is especially thrilling as he portrays a great villain who you love to hate. While watching the film has gotten me pumped to see the new release, nothing added to the Insider Trading Edition would make me recommend anyone already owning the DVD version to buy this release. If on the other hand, you don't have a copy and want to see the film before Money Never Sleeps hits the theaters, then this version is a good option.
