100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 23: Magic Mike

Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 109 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Oliva Munn, Kevin Nash

Description: Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) is a thirty-year old living in Tampa, Florida. By day he works as a roofer whilst at night, as Magic Mike, he is the star attraction of the Kings of Tampa, a group of male strippers. Secretly he wants out in order to further a projected furniture-making business, but instead he teaches the young Adam (Alex Pettyfer) how to party, pick up women, and make easy money.

Review: No, he isn’t a magician, Magic Mike is a stripper. Channing Tatum based parts of the film on his own life, because he started out as one. Tatum had woman swooning for him in movies like “Step Up” and “She’s the Man” and this film is right up his alley. But it’s not as cliché as I thought. This comedy, with a semi-original theme, is entertaining and light and it sometimes even hits a nerve.
Mike is the center character, who is a thirty-year old playboy who performs as a stripper in a club called Xquisite, runned by Dallas. Mike meets Adam, a young guy who wants to explore the exciting night life. It appears he also has potential as a stripper and he joins the group.
It’s an outstanding theme. Although there are movies about the stripper profession, but it’s mostly women who take off their clothes. So the fact that it’s about male strippers makes the movie unconventional. Between all these half-naked guys there is also a love story, where Mike falls for Adam’s sister Brooke. It seems to go into the same old direction, but the movie avoids all the sweetness and cheesiness. Channing Tatum and Cody Horn don’t really seem to have that much chemistry though. Horn isn’t the best choice for the role.
The movie goes in a different direction then the audience would expect. That makes this a surprising movie. Although for woman it’s a joy to watch all those handsome men getting rid of their clothes, I never found male strippers very masculine, but it’s not just a movie about male strippers. It has more layers, which makes it bearable to watch for men and women. It’s a lovely, fresh film.

Rating: 3/ 5