I have to be honest: I was planning on never seeing this film. It screamed major chick flick to me. Why would I want to go see five fairly attractive men strip for two hours? I figured my wife would want to go and that would be my excuse if I had to tell someone the reason I saw it. I have to be a manly man and talk about boobs, etc. Then a strange thing started happening: I kept reading good reviews of the film; not only from major critics, but from people I chat with regularly on Twitter and movie websites. Was Steven Soderbergh trying to trick me into seeing a film I really didn’t want to but couldn’t help myself? There couldn’t possibly be more to this film than just some good-looking men, right? Well, I can safely say that “Magic Mike” is probably one of the biggest surprise films of the 2012, and a film that you should see.
“Magic Mike” follows the titular character (Channing Tatum), a self-described entrepreneur, as he tries to work his way up in life. His ultimate goal, owning a custom furniture business, has to wait while he saves up enough money to afford it. He works odd jobs, including construction, to help pave the way. One day Mike comes to the job and finds a new kid, Adam there and isn’t happy someone is taking money out of their pockets. He works with Adam for the day and ends up giving him a ride home when his car won’t start. He meets Adam’s sister, Brooke, whom he lives with. Adam runs into Mike the following night waiting to get into a club. Mike manages to get him in and from that point on, Adam’s life changes forever.
“Magic Mike” is more than just a stripper movie. Mike is shown to have great aspirations and has the talent to back it up. Unfortunately, his past is partly what is getting in the way of him succeeding. He has a complicated relationship with Joanna, a woman he regularly has over to his place to have threesomes with a girl they pick up at a club. He seems to want more than just a booty call with her but doesn’t want to take the next step; or perhaps Joanna is unwilling as she seems fine with the arrangement. He is seen as the leader of the strippers at Xquisite, the club they perform in, and he knows he’s good at it. The women love him and shower him with dollar bills left and right when he’s on stage.
Channing Tatum, while not in the same realm as say Joseph Gordon-Levitt, does show he has a bit more
range in this film than in past roles such as “G.I. Joe” or “Step Up.” Some scenes he shows real emotion, while in others he still comes off very monotone-like. We really feel for Mike and can identify with his struggles, as he wants to get out of the stripping business.
Mike seems to keep this a secret from the rest of the group, including Dallas, the owner of the Xquisite Club, played by Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey is quite impressive in this role. He oozes charisma from the first scene in the film, and the ladies eat it up. It surely doesn’t hurt that for a man in his ‘40s, he’s still bearing a six-pack. He also seems to have the group’s interests at hand in wanting to move to a bigger club so they can bring in more money, though Mike is wary at times. McConaughey is right at home in this role and it is nice to see him in something other than a rom-com. Between this and the buzz he’s received for “Killer Joe,” hopefully his career is going to take a new direction.
Alex Pettyfer as Adam (or ‘The Kid’ as Dallas appropriately names him when they first meet) is the other star of the film. He is a fish out of water, especially the first time he is thrown out on stage unexpectedly to strip for the crowd. He quickly becomes a favorite and fits in with the other strippers well too. Adam’s journey through the stripping world is hard and fast and Pettyfer starts out with the doe-eyed expressions that he can’t believe what he’s gotten himself into. Mike takes him under his wing, but Adam quickly comes out into his own.
The remaining strippers, played by Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodriguez, and Kevin Nash, all give fine performances but stay in the background for most of the film. I do have to give props to Kevin Nash. While he is not the most agile of the strippers, he is given a few comedic scenes that were quite enjoyable. Cody Horn, as Adam’s older sister Brooke, gives us a woman who takes life very seriously and is quite protective of her brother. She quickly suspects Mike is pulling her brother into a dangerous world when she finds out he’s stripping and holds Mike accountable for his safety. Horn comes off very anxious and high-strung, which makes you wonder if this is her acting or if she is just nervous in front of a camera in one of her biggest roles yet.
Steven Soderbergh’s goal for this film seems to be having a lot of fun without maintaining stereotypes of characters that other films might otherwise portray. His genius is to tease the audience with hot guys dancing around and gyrating with female clientele, but flips it on them and gives us a story with interesting characters that we have to pay attention to. I think a lot of people will go in expecting one kind of film and come out experiencing a different one altogether. Though most straight men will refuse to see this film, there’s no reason to keep away. You won’t turn gay from viewing this and will probably come out of it with an appreciation for good filmmaking. There is plenty of eye candy for both sexes to enjoy this film. Even if you wait to view it alone in the comfort of your home or with a group of friends, “Magic Mike” is a film everyone should check out.
– by Mike Surerus
