Magic Mike

Magic Mike is a very unusual film. Because it looks as if it should be a total romp for the ladies. Silly and comedic and fun. But actually it is done in Stephen Soderbergh's usual style - understated, and dramatic. It does feature topless men and musical numbers for the ladies. But actually it is a drama film about a young man struggling to find his place in the world and torn between what he should do with himself. On its own merit it is a good and enjoyable film with some important themes that are usually examined through female characters. Eg the female stripper who has grown tired of the comfortable and highly lucrative career and of being objectified and wants to be more wholesome. So it is interesting to see these themes explored through male characters. Very unique in this regard actually.

So many elements that could have made this a truly original movie. Instead it's confusing, meandering and ultimately pointless. Alex Pettyfer, the innocent entering the world of male strippers has a good face a great body but lacks life, yes, that's it, he's kind of lifeless. Channing Tatum, whose story, apparently, this is, has a body that seems to have been shaped by a genius, but a face that looks slightly unfinished. I didn't get his character at all. As an actor Channing tries far too hard. Matthew McConaughey is a hoot, Great chest and he seems to be relishing the spotlight. So, all in all, entertaining and little, very little else.

I went to see Magic Mike for two reasons--my friend LOVES to see guys strip and I had a cousin who worked as a stripper at the Hanger Club in Md. and kinda wondered what his tepid life was like?

Well despite the many guys doing hoochie kootchie moves on the screen and the hype that went with it---I still found the plot boring while the whole movie seemed to drag it's way thru like an animal with an injured foot! Magic Mike had that old old plot line character study---The main character finally takes a good look at his sorted life while his new protégée seems to follow in his footsteps and is destined to replace him. That ole character switcheroo story has been done in endless plots. The acting is not bad but very very dry. Adam's sister always carries the same expression of disapproval throughout the whole movie while Adam---even through he is the new kid on the block---just keeps looking clueless and insipid with no emotion or expression at all. And the ending of the movie just leaves you flat that some people couldn't get it---but like Flashdance, the hero finds his right path or destination and wins.

But most importantly, there are those tawdry naughty butt shaking strip scenes that made everyone pay the price of he movie ticket---but not enough scenes for the high prices today, Seeing this I can only say--my cousin must have had a screw loose in his head to do this for a living but it does show that a male stripper suffers in "comfort" from the booze, drugs and groupie followers that make it the good life!

So go see it for the strip scenes, girls---no moving story, no good acting.

Magic Mike is a good movie with a well developed storyline and an impressive cast. It's an enjoyable movie that brings in many laughs, as well as terrific performances from the entire cast, the chemistry between everyone is great, particularly the parts between Channing Tatum and Cody Horn, they both seemed to really enjoy being in each other's company and their scenes were very natural. It's a really slow movie and can admittedly get very boring at times, there are a lot of very lengthy scenes were the characters are literally just talking, while they are well acted and serve as a great method for character development, they can still get very tedious, they could have easily trimmed a lot of scenes and made it a more bearable ninety minute run. The highlight of the movie is definitely Matthew McConaughey, playing a character unlike one he has ever played before, he is very natural and charismatic in the role of Dallas, his scenes certainly had me entertained the most. It may be very slow, but Magic Milke is still an enjoyable movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good, easy to watch, comedy if you ever see it on television and had some time to kill.

A male stripper teaches a newcomer how to handle the lifestyle, while a relationship develops between him and the newcomers sister.

Best Performance: Matthew McConaughey

I was a stripper. Yes, I was. I was fairly good too.

This film however doesn't capture the reality behind the stage, on-stage or even the crowd.

The reality is that the male dancers - or even female dancers aren't all friends...they are greedy, selfish ego tripping characters who look forward only to the dollars. They fight backstage, they get drunk back stage and they do serious amounts of coke back stage.

Most male dancers are also gay. I am not and for that reason, the few men that are not gay will be reading "picture books" behind the curtain to ensure that they are "up" to the challenge when they are on stage.

The gay men will be taking care of each other respectively before they go on stage.

Most female crowds are mostly fat, overweight women who are nearing 50 and are there to get totally drunk. Male dancers will go to the table for them and pull everything off, but will not take them on-stage and perform nasty acts - clothed or unclothed.

Also - we didn't have groups of 5 or 6 go up on-stage and perform a routine set. With people travelling all the time and new people coming in and out, we barely knew who each other was from a daily basis.

Nobody fraternized with the bar-staff after closing...everybody was tired, stressed or too stoned to do anything. The bar-staff closed up and everybody got kicked out.

If anybody tried to do a back-flip on-stage, they would have been fired or told not to do that again...because of liability and safety and insurance reasons.

We made our money doing lap dances...not having a hundred girls throw money in our underwear on-stage.

The back room dressing areas were always slightly better than a warehouse - filled with all sorts of bar crap...regardless of the bar or location.

Anybody under the legal limit would never be allowed on-stage. There was always vice to make sure.

There was always so much tension in the dressing room...because we were competing for the same money, that more than the mere basic communication between dancers never existed.

This is a film based on the male stripper occupation, but misses out on the reality of it.

It's also over drawn for plot. So much could be edited out and would not make a difference to the story.

I was looking forward to see this, and I finally did. Wow...too long to watch a movie to see next to nothing of interest.