Magic Mike

Magic Mike: Loosely based on the pre-Hollywood stripper life of Channing Tatum, the man himself stars as the title character in this dark character study from director Steven Soderbergh. While there are plentiful shots of male butt and thongs to go around, the film does have a semi-deep and dark narrative, so it’s not all about stripping. Tatum continues to impress as an actor, and the film allows him to mix drama with comedy effectively. Matthew McConaughey, who I’d say is in better shape than anybody in this movie, is fun as the stripper gang ringleader. Alex Pettyfer is pretty good as the up-and-coming stripper who has a few lessons to learn, while Cody Horn is a little drab as his sister and Mike’s potential love interest. This one isn’t a jolly romp, so don’t be bringing your bachelorette parties to it. There was one at my screening, and they were not having a good time.