Review of Magic Mike (2012) by Stephanie P — 04 Feb 2013

Inspired by his own life story, Channing Tatum stars as the title character: an entrepreneur who works a series of various jobs by day, and lights up his nights as the star at a prosperous Tampa strip club.

That this is directed by Steven Soderbergh is probably the best aspect of it. I mean honestly, who else could take a fluffy story about male strippers and turn it into something with a fair amount of meat on its bones? Sure, the broad strokes of this movie, namely Mike taking a young upstart under his wing, and Mike having dreams and ambitions beyond stripping are nothing new, but Soderbergh provides a highly entertaining, likable, and energetic variation on these themes.

And yes, while the film does have a number of scenes that will make the ladies (and gay men) go wild, this isn't a sleazy romp like Showgirls. It's got actual plot and characters, and is about something. Plus, it is a very nice 'workplace' film as well.

The film is quite well cast. Tatum plays the mentor role to Alex Pettyfer's protege, which is basically a fictionalized version of Tatum himself (to a degree). CT is charismatic, charming, and quite convincing. Pettyfer is good as Alex, and brings a good amount of naivete as the upstart who struggles to handle success. Then we've got Matthew McConaughey delivering a terrific performance in a role he was seemingly born for: that of Dallas, the narcissistic, smarmy owner of Club Xquisite- and Mike's boss. He's great here, and this is another notch in his belt of great performances that prove he really is a talent. Cody Horn is also good as Brooke- Alex's sister and potential love interest for Mike, one who isn't thrilled about her brother's new career choice, and urges Mike to keep an eye on him. Olivia Munn is also okay as Mike's on-again off-again lover Joanna. We also get appearances from Joe Manganiello and Kevin Nash as fellow strippers Big Dick Richie and Tarzan, respectively. They have a couple of good moments, but I think they could have been given a little more.

The film has Soderbergh's trademark style, energy, and vision all over it, with some strong cinematography, great choreographed sequences, and some sharp editing. Bottom line: it's a fun and breezy affair, but not without a touch of heart and depth.

Give this a look, it's quite good.