This weekend, Gordon Gekko returns to theaters in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, a prospect that a few years ago, you probably never thought would happen. If Gekko, really the epitome of 1980s culture, can come back for another adventure, why not some of other nostalgic favorites? Ahead, Movieline presents the five characters from the '80s that have yet to be resurrected, but really should. (Don't get your hopes up, Ferris Bueller fans: Your boy hero was already resurrected for an early 1990s television show.)
· Louden Swain from Vision Quest
At the end of Vision Quest, our favorite nose-bleeding high school wrestler (played by Matthew Modine) had just defeated his arch-nemesis, Shute, but not before losing the girl, Carla (Linda Fiorentino). It's quite likely that Swain's journey to adulthood wasn't an easy one. Long gone are the glories of high school wrestling and what's left is a shell of a man; a shell of a man looking for one last shot. The film would capture Swain's mid-life crisis, as he drives to San Francisco...no, runs to San Francisco in his futuristic weight-loss suit (with "Only the Young" by Journey playing in the background) to finally find Carla, his long lost love.
· Montgomery Brewster from Brewster's Millions
Sure, Richard Pryor and John Candy are no longer with us, but that doesn't mean this story of Brewster and his millions is over. Cast Chris Rock in the role alongside Kevin James and, bam! There's your cast. In the original, Brewster had to spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. Now that Brewster has the $300 million, what has he done with it over the years? Hopefully he didn't invest in any more icebergs, because he wouldn't even need to sail it south these days for that to disappear.
· Ted Striker from Airplane 2: The Sequel
Fun Fact: At the end of Airplane 2: The Sequel a teaser is shown that reads, "Coming from Paramount Pictures: Airplane III." Airplane 2 did not perform as expected, so the third film never materialized. Sure, it's 28 years later, but Indiana Jones waited 19 years between sequels and that turned out okay, right? (Perhaps that is a bad example.) In the first film, Ted Striker (Robert Hays) had to pilot a commercial jet airliner; in the second he had to fly a space shuttle. In the third, considering the advancement in spaceflight technology over the last 28 years, Striker could pilot...well, I guess another space shuttle. Actually, that's kind of depressing.
· Josh Baskin from Big
Tom Hanks returns as a 30ish Baskin (look, if the anti-aging effects can work on Jeff Bridges for Tron Legacy, it will work on Hanks), who only wants to be young once again. He seeks out the Zoltar machine and his wish is granted. Wandering the streets of New York City with no family, he's threatened with being placed in social service. He seeks out a now 36-year-old Billy, living in New Jersey, whom takes Josh in. Now, Josh has to go back to grade school with adult knowledge -- comedy ensues.
· Buddy Revell from Three O'Clock High
Perhaps the bully from Three O'Clock High even shared a prison cell at one time with Gordon Gekko. One of the best characters from the '80s certainly deserved a follow-up story. It's nice to assume that after Buddy's humiliating defeat to Jerry Mitchell, he went on the straight and narrow. Remember, Buddy was a fairly intelligent fellow; he was just a guy who did not like to be touched. In the present day, it would be great to see Buddy as a therapist who, when a patient tries to hug him, he challenges that patient...to a fight...in the parking lot...at three o'clooooock.