Magic Mike

I suppose I understand why the male population didn’t want to see Magic Mike. I guess they don’t mind that the trailers are really funny. Yes, it is a movie about male strippers. But the only way to make it work was to not take itself too seriously. Produced and starring Channing Tatum, the film follows the titular character as he introduces a down on his luck 19 year old (Alex Pettyfer) to the lifestyle of a stripper. As Pettyfer’s character integrates in, Tatum’s character finds himself growing tired of the daily grind of the clothing impaired. Pun intended.

It would seem Channing Tatum’s Hollywood takeover continues as he churns out another hit. This time he shows strong comedic timing and an ability to be authentic on screen. Paired with Matthew McConaughey’s fun performance as the greedy and eccentric club owner, the film’s acting is the biggest bright spot with dialogue that does well advancing the plot. But yes, there are a number of stripping scenes. Tatum’s actually border on break dance scenes from a Step Up movie, and the full nudity is kept to a minimum. Though I am not here to critique stripping/dance sequences.

As things begin to go south for the characters in Magic Mike’s second half, the film’s entertainment level drops a bit. The pace never stalls but once Pettyfer’s character becomes a jerk, the movie changes slightly for the worse. Ultimately, there is a sense that the majority of the characters introduced are less important than the film’s first half would have the viewer believe. From that fact to the strange filters that gives some scenes a distinctly sepia tone; Magic Mike just comes across as a slightly odd project. It’s worth seeing because of the acting and the fact that it’s different than your average summer movie, but it doesn’t quite meet the hype.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.