Movie Reviews

Magic Mike

User Rating:  / 0

Details

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Dallas (McConaughey) is the owner and operator of Xquisite, a cock-train if you will of male strippers feeding off the lecherous vibes of desperate women from Tampa Bay, Florida (now I wish I had moved there after college!). Dallas is a total slime bag but a clever businessman and a former stripper to boot. His prized dancer is Magic Mike (Channing Tatum). In addition to suave moves, pelvic thrusts, a nineteen pack of abs, and some rugged good looks, Tatum is a former male dancer in real life. Paired with his dancing talent (he was the original megastar of Step Up), Magic Mike is unbelievable on stage. Most of us would tear ligaments and tendons attempting any of the leg manipulations required for these stunts. When Dallas tells the group they are moving to Miami and a much bigger facility, there are dollar signs in everyone's eyes...mostly everyone.

Mike's dream is to hand craft custom made household furniture. For a decade as a dancer he has saved a mixture of $1's, $5's, $20's and $100 bills to start his own business. Regrettably no bank officer in their right mind is willing to offer a loan to a stripper with a poor credit history. Mike also works as a roofer whenever work is available and this is where he meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer). Adam is a rather clueless 19 year old that has been expelled from college and has lost a lucrative football scholarship. He now spends his days looking for work and living with his sister Brooke (Cody Horn). Brooke is more than aware of the financial challenges of supporting two people on a meager salary and she is routinely stressed out about money.

After meeting Adam on the rooftop, Mike befriends the aimless young whippersnapper and introduces him to the world of cock teasing. Frankly, Pettyfer (by intention or by virtue of fact) is a wretched dancer that is more awkward and funny than sensual. Gradually, Adam becomes seduced by the women, money and pharmaceutical drugs and is wholly transformed into a party animal. While this metamorphosis is underway, Mike is busy wrestling with several difficult decisions. Adam's sister captured his heart at first site. He does everything he can to spend time with her or around her. Brooke seems to lead him along only to reject him and criticize his "career" at every turn. Still, Mike pursues her with all due intentions. Meanwhile, adding a monkey wrench into Mike's plans is his regular hook-up Joanna (Olivia Munn). Joanna brings women over and they enjoy lust/busty threesomes all night long. When Mike attempts to coax Brooke into being his girlfriend he lets up off the gas pedal with Joanna and finds out she has been engaged the whole time and only uses him for sex. Poor guy ;) Demoralized and disheartened, Mike has some life decisions to make.

Magic Mike is an excellent picture because it is about more than showing Channing Tatum's ass to screaming morons at movie theaters across America. This film shows us insider details of male strippers which is a topic or career that rarely receives attention. Few of us will become doctors, and even fewer strippers, but that does not make us curious about how they live and what it would be like to be in their shoes. Frankly, I would never choose to be a male stripper even if certain endowments were augments because it is a grueling and demeaning way of life. For a 21 year old the benefits are heaven, but for someone in their thirties it is pure degradation. Channing Tatum has reached the point where he is less of a hateful youngster with no acting talent and more of a likable person we can all relate to and perhaps live vicariously through for 2 hours. After all why not?

• < Prev
• Next >