Magic Mike (2012) User Reviews

Aside from the stripping there's nothing new here but I was never bored

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 30 June 2012]

This takes place in Florida. A 30 year old male stripper Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) meets young Adam (Alex Pettyfer) who has no direction in life. Mike takes him under his wing and gets him to be a stripper. He also romances Adams' sister Brooke (Cody Horn). But Adam gets hooked on drugs and things get dangerous.

First let's get the nude issue out of the way. There is only one full frontal in the movie--it's off to the side, is partially blocked and is probably faked. It's also very funny. There's mostly butt shots only but all are from Tatum, Pettyfer and Adam Rodriguez. This movie is NOT about the nudity. The movie moves slow (although I was never bored) and main events happen off screen OR are never explained! Still the movie works. For one thing all the acting is good. I was surprised at how good Tatum was. I never thought he could act till this. He captures his character perfectly. Pettyfer was equally good as Adam. Even Matthew McConaughey was good as the group's owner named Dallas. The strip acts themselves are incredible. All the guys are in good shape and Tatum shows some moves that are jaw-dropping! However they're not shot in an exploitive fashion. They're done in a matter of fact way that actually makes them seem quite funny. This movie (script wise) shows us nothing new but it was well-made and entertaining. This is not just for women and gay men--I think everyone would enjoy it. I give it a 7.

Great buns, shame about the script

[littlemartinarocena · 7/10 · 11 August 2012]

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.

C'mon

[Laakbaar · 7/10 · 28 December 2014]

I like male strippers just as much as the next guy. If the voting were based purely on male eye candy and Florida scenery, this movie would get 9 out of 10. Just the scene where Pettyfer shakes his booty in front of the mirror for the first time was worth the price of admission. The sandbar party was also cool. I want to do that.

But I mean, c'mon, a film about male strippers without any erections? All I saw was a fleeting image of one in a pump. Did you even catch that? I understand that in America it's more acceptable to show an exploding head than an erection, but surely this movie would have been an exception. You simply can't portray the full impact of male stripping on an audience without the hard-ons. It's an integral and essential aspect. And the foursome scene -- does this still need to be implied? It's a movie about easy sexuality without any easy sexuality. This movie raises a number of issues for me about artistic honesty and freedom of expression.

I'm not sure we got a realistic portrayal of the psychology and lifestyle of the strippers, even though clearly this was expressly the movie's aim. These fellas were portrayed as all-American boys just having fun. It's not like that, I'm sure. Where were the hours in the gym, the narcissism, the pharmaceutical aids, the whoring, the brutal attrition rate, the desperate search for money, the Darwinian fight for the good clients, the social disapproval. It was just blue-collar heroes, men dancing and recreational drugs, from what I could see. Was this movie an adolescent fantasy about easy sex, easy money and easy work?

This movie shows us this world and these people, but was visibly searching for a story to tell. Adam does not really face much of a trial. The relationship between the sister and Mike was telegraphed from the very beginning.

There were other things going on in the movie, but I forget what they were.

Very Slow Comedy, but brings in Great Laughs and Performances,

[lesleyharris30 · 7/10 · 27 June 2015]

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

The lifestyle of male strippers with characters and dichotomies

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 3 July 2012]

Mike (Channing Tatum) is a stripper. He's also a contractor and furniture business entrepreneur. He's actually a pretty stand-up young man. Adam (Alex Pettyfer) isn't as put together, but his sister wants him to be. So when she ventures out to Xquisite, the all male dance revue, she exclaims "I was hoping it was all a joke." I don't blame her, I thought it was too. Mike responds, "No, but it is pretty funny." He's also right.

"Magic Mike" is indeed about a male strip club. The other strippers and their routines were all very funny. They definitely went too far at times, but I think that was part of the joke. Matthew McConaughey, as the club owner, seemed to be playing a character playing himself. A sort of tongue-in-cheek joke making fun of the types of roles he gets. He was fearless, willing to say or do anything to get the joke. There is something special about an actor like that.

Shortly before the release, positive critics reviews started coming out plus the realization that this was directed by Steven Soderbergh. It makes one think that perhaps there is more to this movie than just guys stripping. Well, yes and no. The majority of this movie is about the lifestyle that accompanies male strippers with plenty of scenes for the predominantly female audience to ogle at their dance moves. As expected, that gets annoying quickly.

Also as expected, the lifestyle that accompanies male strippers involves easy women and drugs, all of which can be bought with a lot of money. Mike tries to stay out of that style of living. He knows what he wants in life and the "proper" way to get it. On the other hand, Adam very much wants the hard-living style; that's exactly where he wants to be in life. This leads to a brilliant sequence, near the end of the film, where Mike is old enough to be passed his quarter-life crisis while Adam is just approaching his. But one is at more of a cross-roads than the other.

I am also assuming that Soderbergh has chosen to direct this just to do something different. Choosing interesting light effects and strange camera angles, just for fun I suppose. This is a genre that is not known for being inventive and I don't think much of his effort was necessary. But the characters and particularly their dichotomies that he added makes the film worth it.

One for the ladies (and gentlemen)

[dharmendrasingh · 6/10 · 29 July 2012]

The usherette tittered when I bought my ticket. 'Why do you laugh?' I asked. 'Because only girls are watching this'. Clearly this is someone who doesn't believe in the universality of cinema. Yes, Steven Soderbergh's latest features male strippers, and yes it will appeal more to a certain demographic, but so will every film. Audiences may be disparate but films are androgynous. Or should be.

As 'Magic' Mike, charming Channing Tatum naturally gets top billing, but the film revolves around Adam (rising star Alex Pettyfer). Adam is a congenital loser, the kind of guy who refuses to wear a tie and wonders why he can't sustain a job. He lives with his sister, Brooke (Cody Horn), whose acting conveys a suspicion of men, presumably because she has only her wayward brother as a yardstick.

Adam finds work on a construction site with Mike, who sees the desperation of Adam's situation and entices him to join his exotic dancing troupe, Xquisite, led by Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). Dallas astutely exploits Adam's naivety by branding him 'The Kid', an amateurish, sloppy act, which the ladies love. The next three months are a non-stop orgy of girls, booze and drugs: everything a man like Adam could wish for.

This lifestyle has lost its appeal for Mike, now 30, who only took up professional undressing to become a bespoke furniture salesman. He no longer wishes to hold out for the phantom 10% of the business Dallas keeps promising him, but poor credit keeps him on the pole. (Tatum again stars in a role which brings out his effortless charisma and sweetness.)

McConaughey recently impressed me in William Friedkin's 'Killer Joe', and now this film has completely changed my mind about him. He's gone from my dud to my stud list in just two films. And Pettyfer works because he doesn't work, if you see what I mean. Although an ex-model, he's not 'stripper material' (not that I'd know much about that sort of thing), yet there's a naturalness to his acting, which works.

Although not in the same league as some of Soderbergh's other titles (notably 'Traffic' and 'Out of Sight'), there's enough going on to warrant a viewing. Characters are well written, lives intersect in an unforced manner, motivations are believable. There's plenty of saucy (and quite impressive) dancing to keep the majority of this film's audience happy, but there's also a decent story for those who aren't watching exclusively for nudity.

www.moseleyb13.com

More Magic, Mike, More Magic

[dglink · 6/10 · 10 July 2012]

Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike" is short on needed magic. The promised backstage tale of male strippers conjures images of sexy men, pulsating music, and erotic choreography. Unfortunately, the expected companion piece to "Flashdance" or "Footloose" is not even "The Full Monty." Magic Mike, competently played by Channing Tatum, is a construction worker by day, a stripper by night, and a furniture designer by ambition. A fellow hard hat on the construction site, Adam, played by Alex Pettyfer, is drawn into Mike's stripper world by the lure of easy money and even easier sex. Little unexpected happens, and the audience for naked male flesh and sexual couplings is better served at the local porn shop.

The dialog is lame and often delivered listlessly. Perhaps strippers and their friends are low-key characters and talk like Mike and his friends, but eyes glaze and brains go numb after nearly two hours spent in their company. A physically fit Matthew McConaughey looks almost cadaverous as Dallas, the strippers' tough manager. However, McConaughey is effective, and his scenes resuscitate the film when he is on screen, which is all too briefly. Despite his age, McConaughey has the vulgar moves, the erotic gyrations, and the sexual aura that the other supposed strippers lack.

"Magic Mike" drags on and seems longer than it is. Soderbergh inserts a few arty shots, but generally fails to even capture the excitement of a "Flashdance," a glossy construction-worker-cum-dancer feature-length music video that moved to a beat and never bored. The music herein is forgettable at best, and the dancing owes more to Las Vegas posturing than Broadway or discotheques. Perhaps Soderbergh was the wrong director for the project, which was an odd choice for the man who made "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich." Magic Mike's story is unexpectedly downbeat, and the angst of a frustrated furniture designer is low on entertainment value. While the film will likely draw and disappoint gay and female audiences, perhaps men can relate most to Mike and his checkered career in pursuit of a dream However, few straight men will venture into a movie with the advertising and subject matter of "Magic Mike."

Schizophrenic: Why "Magic Mike" doesn't work

[OrsonLannister · 4/10 · 30 June 2012]

As I watched "Magic Mike", I was entertained and hopeful. Some of its elements were fascinating and the storyline seemed to be heading in an interesting direction. Each new scene seemed to lead toward a climax that could make the movie's run time worthwhile.

And then it ended.

I was confused. So many things didn't make sense. So many questions were left unanswered. Where was the conflict's resolution? What happened to Adam? When did Mike and Brooke fall in love? What was with Tarzan's character? Did I have the wrong mindset?

The problem with "Magic Mike" is that it attempts to appeal to every form of movie watcher and, instead, appeals only to the ladies fanning themselves while mesmerized by abs and biceps. While Mike (a surprisingly decent Channing Tatum) is an interesting character, the movie's structure and story suffer from Steven Soderbergh's direction.

1. "Magic Mike" has no goal. No themes, no morals, no bottom-line. We see hints of anti-drug sentimentality, and Soderbergh draws a little attention to the effects of the male stripper world on the male mind. But these elements are only hints, and are abandoned by the time the credits roll. Mike doesn't regret his actions as a stripper, only that he continued to be one into his 30's. He dabbles in drugs in one (hyper-extended and annoying) montage-esque scene, but that event too has few direct consequences.

All this would be okay if the movie was a comedy. However...

2. "Magic Mike" isn't funny. Not by any stretch of the imagination. We have some witty remarks that are bound to induce some smiles, but the only laughs come from people's "shock" from the dance numbers. There are no jokes, no slapstick humor, and the dance numbers really aren't that amusing (to a male). The only truly funny scene is when Adam (a bored looking Alex Pettyfer) is first backstage with Tarzan and the other strippers.

If this movie lacks a drama's thematic elements and a comedy's laughs, then it must be a romance, right?

3. "Magic Mike" isn't romantic. In fact, Mike and Brooke (Cody Horn) don't let any sparks fly at all. A relationship between the two isn't even a possibility until they get into their first shouting match, near (what I assume to be) the movie's climax. Their relationship is never given time to grow because the movie's first half tries to build a story around Adam and Mike's relationship. However, the second half drops Adam almost completely and attempts to bring in Brooke. Both relationships fall flat, not to mention Adam ends up as a terrible human being.

In the end, what the audience gets is a casserole of movie elements and little of the satisfaction that comes from watching these types of movies because Soderbergh shoots high and misses everything. Also, "Magic Mike" is peppered with extended "erotic" dance numbers that add nothing to the plot and exist purely to satisfy the target audience: middle-aged women. These scenes, in addition to the movie's schizophrenic lack of direction, will disappoint any movie lover's hopes of seeing a film that provides insight into the mind of a male stripper.

At least, the audience could have used a decent ending.

Flashdance a la male style

[NutzieFagin · 6/10 · 8 July 2012]

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.

Not the way real dancers are.

[vampyrecowboy · 4/10 · 18 September 2012]

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.

It's not about the stripping...

[gilligan-11 · 8/10 · 2 July 2012]

This might come as a shock to some, but this is not really a movie about male strippers. Yes, two of the principal characters are male strippers, but—as Channing Tatum's character (Magic Mike himself) says at a crucial point in the film, "That's what I do—it's not who I am." Amid the bountiful buttcheeks and brawny pecs on display, there is a real story here about ambition, and goals, and loyalty, and commitment, and self-actualization. Yes, I used the term "self-actualization" in a review of "Magic Mike"; I told you you might be shocked.

At any rate, plenty of folks (like the pathetic woman who was sitting behind me in the theater, the one who clapped like a poorly trained seal, guffawed, and cackled any time the least bit of male skin appeared on screen) will go see this movie because of all the hype about the hot male bodies in various states of undress—and they will certainly enjoy the film on that very basic level. But let's be honest here, folks—this is a Stephen Soderbergh film—and Soderbergh does not use sex and titillation gratuitously. The plot is compelling, the film is well written and masterfully directed, and Channing Tatum proves that he is much, much more than a hot body and a pretty face. For his sake, here's hoping that "Magic Mike" can propel him along a career path similar to those of other handsome actors who managed to overcome "Movie Star" looks to prove that they were genuine actors. Like Brad Pitt.

Not What You'd Expect, And That's A Good Thing

[DoctorRabbit · 7/10 · 4 July 2012]

At first glance, Magic Mike seems like a film that doesn't have much to offer besides men stripping and a generic romantic comedy plot. However, the film is a lot better than you'd think it be and it has a lot more to offer than just male stripping.

The trailer for the film is VERY misleading and makes it appear to be a romantic comedy when the film is much more of a comedy-drama centered the life of Channing Tatum's character and Alex Pettyfer. The film has a good mix of comedy and drama and also has a surprisingly dark 2nd half to it which I really enjoyed. This has really been a good year for Channing Tatum. I used to think he was a terrible actor but with this and 21 Jump Street, he has proved me otherwise. He is terrific here and even better than he was in 21 Jump Street since he is also dealing with drama here and not only comedy. The rest of cast did a good job and Matthew McConaughey stole every scene that he was in. The only person who didn't do a good job was the Tatum's love interest Cody Horn who gave a very stale performance. Despite a lot of man ass, the dance scenes in the film are a ton of fun to watch, even if you are a guy. Soderbergh did an excellent job directing and I really loved the cinematography and style that was used for the film. However, Magic Mike has some problems with it that keep it from being the great movie it could've been. My biggest problem with it is that the whole film felt very disjointed and that really bugged me. The film didn't feel like it had a good flow to it and scenes would just happen one after another in random order. I got used to this after a bit into the film, but it still bugged me quite a bit. The film could've also done without the romantic subplot which served no purpose to the film what so ever and really just dragged it out longer than it needed to be. I also didn't care for the way the film ended either. There's a scene that takes place 5 minutes before the final scene of the film that I actually felt would've fit the film much better and left more of an impact than the final scene of the film did.

Overall, Magic Mike isn't as good as it could've been, but it's also a lot better than you'd expect it to be. It's not a movie that is strictly for female's and is one that male's can also enjoy. Women might actually be disappointed that there isn't as much stripping in the film as you would expect and may not like some of the darker parts of it. Don't blow this movie off because of the subject matter. Give it a shot, and I can guarantee you that you'll be surprised by how much you will enjoy Magic Mike.

Too Long, Boring, and Didn't Have a Real Ending....

[MylesEd20 · 3/10 · 30 June 2012]

I am going to make my review short, sweet, and to the point. Something Magic Mike was not. As far as the stripping goes and the first hour of the movie, it wasn't that bad. I actually had a good time. When the movie got close to two hours, I along with everyone else in the theater were ready to leave. That being said, I think the writer of the film was also ready to leave... his computer from writing the script, because there was NO ENDING... they kind of sum up two characters and thats it.. for the rest of the cast you spend 2 hours getting to know them, you have no idea if they die from too much crack or if they quit dancing or if they have fun at a new club... there needed to be at least a photo of each character with a small description of what happened to them next... NOT TO GIVE ANYTHING AWAY... but one of the main characters in the movie has a HUGE LIFE ISSUE, and they NEVER SOLVE IT, they give you nothing... just "WELL THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE HAPPY, THE END"

A Young Man's game

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 12 July 2012]

Unless you are going to go into the business end of it like Matthew McConaughey does male stripping is definitely for those just entering legal majority and a bit beyond. You get old mighty quick in the game as Channing Tatum in the title role realizes. He's got a day job and he's saving his money to start a business.

On that day job is Alex Pettyfer who hasn't got it as together as Tatum does. So when Tatum brings him into the male strip club to work for McConaughey, young Pettyfer becomes an instant star. His sister Cody Horn is concerned for him because he's also a bit of screw-up. She hopes that Tatum will keep him somewhat in line. She kind of likes Tatum herself.

A person I know who is in this line tells me Magic Mike was better than he thought it would be. Both of us were prepared for something truly trashy and Magic Mike wasn't that at all. The characters were both real and engaging though if you want to see some erotic male dancing than this is a movie that will provide.

I'd check this out, but don't bring the kiddies.

Less pathetic than a 30 year old stripper

[jhedin-76645 · 7/10 · 28 July 2021]

The plot is okay. Guys working in construction at an obviously low hourly rate, figuring out what they want to do in life. It's a common place to be for 20-30 year old men.

The pain in the main character (Mike/Tatum) who approaches 30 and is stumbling to get traction with his dream carrier, making many bad the decisions on the way, is the high among many weaker characters.

Camera, music and stripping was excellent.

Magic mike (2012)

[dpolwatte · 7/10 · 9 December 2018]

A good movie with an emotional level and strong forceful strength. Another great movie by Steven Soderbergh. Good performance by Channing Tatum.

Boring Characters, Routine Melodrama

[Michael_Elliott · 13 November 2012]

Magic Mike (2012)

** (out of 4)

Rather idiotic tale of a stripper (Channing Tatum) dreaming of accomplishing something bigger in life but first he ends up taking a young guy under his wing and teaching him how to party and make money. Okay, perhaps I went into this with too high of expectations or perhaps I just completely missed something but MAGIC MIKE was an incredibly stupid, unoriginal and rather shockingly bad movie. We're not talking SHOWGIRLS bad here but with someone like Steven Soderbergh directing you'd expect much more than what we actually got here. I understand the sexual appeal it might have towards women but I have a hard time believing that even they would be fooled by this incredibly lame story that really goes nowhere. We've seen this type of story countless times with the roles reversed. Usually it's a woman doing something with their body while we all know that deep down they have something special going. This basic formula has been played out with a woman in the lead and switching the role to being played by a man doesn't make it fresh. The entire film is just full of silly situations, bad dialogue and it's all just so obvious where it's going to go. Every single scene is just so boring and so flat that it's hard for me to see how anyone could actually enjoy this. The only real saving grace are the performances with Tatum, Olivia Munn, Alex Pettyfer and James Martin Kelly doing nice work. Matthew McConaughey continues his extremely strong year with another good performance and easily steals the picture. MAGIC MIKE might appeal to some for its sex appeal but the internet is full of places to where you can get this. With a motion picture from a talented director and cast I expected a lot more.

NO EHAT IT SEEM! Which is a good thing.

[jordangross · 7/10 · 30 June 2012]

Men, don't be discouraged from this movie, the trailers make it out to seem like a full on male stripper movie, but that's only to bring in the female audience. Honestly the stripping scenes in the movie are so minimal, that any kind of job could have taken its place. The drama, and surprisingly comedy, take over this movie completely. Each character was so well developed that I wanted to know more and more about each individual person in the film.

This film stars Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, Dear John), Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four, Beastly), Olivia Munn (Iron Man 2, Attack of the Show), Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, U-571), Matt Bomer (In Time, White Collar), and Gabriel Iglesias (Comedian).

In Magic Mike, Mike (Channing Tatum) takes a younger person, Adam (Alex Pettyfer), under his wing and teaches him the way to make easy money, pick up chicks, and have a great time. The only reason why Mike actually does stripping is so that he can save a bunch of money and do what he really loves. With a bunch of set backs and drama related issues in his way while teaching Adam, the movie keeps you entertained from start to finish.

The performances in this movie were down right amazing. Channing Tatum has lately just getting better and better with every film that he has been in. His character in this film is so deep and interesting that you can't help but want to know more about him. I can mainly say that for all the actors as well because every character is so well developed and so deep that you really get invested into this movie. This is hands down one of my favorite films this year. Steven Soberbergh is such a great director, making yet another masterpiece.

Rating: 8/10 Thank you for reading my review, any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Magic Mike: Needed More Magic and Less Mike

[JadeIslandReviews · 3/10 · 15 July 2012]

Magic Mike is one of those many films that I could guess the plot exactly before I saw it. I don't know if its because its super predictable or if I've seen too many movies. Anyways, here is how I predicted how the film would go down before I saw it: Popular guy with pretty good life turns into a Disney princess because he wants "something more" in his life than what he's use to. He meets girl, falls in love with girl but is torn between his life and girl. He (shockingly) picks girl with limited personality instead of pretty good life and they all live happily ever after. That was my prediction BEFORE I saw the movie.

I won't spoiler the actual film but here's what its about: Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) is a construction worker by day and male stripper by night. He meets pretty boy Adam (Alex Pettyfer) who lives with his sister, Brooke (Cody Horn) at work and gets Adam a stripping job at the strip joint owned by Dallas ("I see a lot of law breakers"...must a say HIS name?). Romantic fireworks explode between characters and Adam gets into trouble along the way.

Here's how I'm going to analyze:

Story: All I can about the story is that it is your typical romantic 21st century Hollywood film. You can predict the whole movie and ending very easily.

Characters: These characters were walking cardboards. Mike, Adam, Brooke, Joanna, Norah, even Tarzan, etc HAD NO PERSONALITY! The character that was somewhat interesting was Dallas and he stripped the least (sorry ladies). I could've cared less what happened to these characters because there was no depth to them and I didn't feel attached to them at all. We've seen these clichéd characters a million times.

Acting: I hated to judge this part because there isn't much to judge. The acting is...mediocre at best. Channing Tatum plays the role he plays in every film of his: the good guy with little personality. I feel Tatum CAN really act but he needs to expand his range like Johnny Depp does or Heath Ledger use to. Adam Pettyfer has tried to expand his range (like in "Beastly")but the kid, as good looking as he is, just can't act. Cody Horn was the weakest link. She'll probably be the next Julia Stiles, meaning she'll be cast in the same role in every film (good films probably) next to good looking guys even though she can't act.

These are the only things to critique on. The directing, music, editing, etc are not focused on at all. The only song in the film I could remember was "Its Raining Men". The directing had some shaky camera. I remember that. The visuals were...okay. If you like naked men.

Overall, the film was..."eh". I was bored through most of it and I left the theater with no intentions to ever see it again. I gave the film three stars out of ten. The film needed more "magic" in storytelling and originality then "Mike" just being your typical Hollywood dream guy that doesn't really exist.

Good movie, but one thing kept ruining it.

[flamegamehunter · 6/10 · 28 June 2012]

I work at a movie theatre that housed this film. Out of sheer curiosity, I went to a late night employee showing of this movie. I had no expectations other than: "It's a movie about a bunch of male strippers. Channing Tatum is in it." I went in expecting just that and got a bit more than I expected. Big spoiler: There's a bunch of guy's asses thrown about the stage while Matthew McConaughey, the owner of the male strip club, flaunts his 'I'm-better-than-you'-ness to all of the screaming women that go to these events. I had fun watching the women's reactions and seeing how it all works back stage, and McConaughey and Tatum play their roles quite well. There is good tension, humor, drama, and it was very entertaining. One thing kept ruining it for me. Cody Horn plays the sister of the new guy to the club, and main focus of the story, Adam (Alex Pettyfer). It was painful watching her forced emotions and hearing her fake laughs while seeing her awful timing ruin a lot of the immersion I thought I was having during the movie. Tatum's character, unfortunately, develops a love interest as absolutely painfully as possible. He went from the gorgeous and goofy Olivia Munn to a very uptight, unpleasant, downright cardboard-cutout overprotective-big-sister. By this, I mean, she never smiled during the entire movie, her lines sounded like they were read through a Microsoft-speak program, and she showed no interest whatsoever to the possibility of a relationship until the last five minutes of the movie. And even then, the wordplay is painful at best as she waits for an awkward thirty second before lunging onto Tatum in cliché 'credits-roll' romanticism.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie. I didn't expect to, so that is good on the movie's part. To describe the experience, however, imagine this: You have a plate of food in front of you. There's everything you like on it cooked very well, but right on the edge of the plate is a tiny piece of feces. You can enjoy the meal however you want, but the experience is lessened as you try to figure out why that crap was put on your plate in the first place.

No magic here.

[Quietb-1 · 1/10 · 4 July 2012]

A good poster, and an effective trailer, make excellent marketing tools for a truly awful movie.

Anything good is in the trailer. The only scenes that are the slightest bit interesting are on stage in the club. The rest of the time it's actors spouting bad dialogue with little or nothing to do. Classic lines like "Hey" and "Hey do you want to get something to eat?". They walk and talk. They sit and talk. They drink and talk. They stare toward the right or left or look at the ocean like it's supposed to mean something.

Some of the original music is interesting and fits. The film has a golden tone appearance to the scenes outside of the club which becomes distracting and adds nothing.

There's a scene after the sorority fight scene that seems out of place before the confrontation in the club. There is no reason to like the thinly drawn characters, and even less reason to like the movie. It's too long, often boring and feels like it is yet to be written. Steven Soderbergh is tied for the most overrated director of this generation.

Don't waste your time, money, or eyes on this one.

The law says you cannot touch, but I think I see a lotta lawbreakers up in this house tonight...

[moviewizguy · 9/10 · 27 June 2012]

Many people like to generalize things to make it easier to understand the world. When the trailer for MAGIC MIKE was revealed, it was labeled as just a "male stripper movie," like how BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was just a "gay cowboy movie." This generic label, undermining and downgrading the film's actual quality, even overshadows the fact that Steven Soderbergh is the director, who rarely make films that lack substance. Yes, MAGIC MIKE has style, but it has substance as well. Here's the kicker: Those who want to see the film primarily for the stripping may be left disappointed, as they will likely fidget in their seats for these scenes to come. As one lady sitting next to me said once the credits rolled, "Worst movie ever." On the other hand, those who refuse to see the film because of its subject matter may be missing a great film.

To state it simply, MAGIC MIKE is a BOOGIE NIGHTS-lite, which isn't a bad thing considering how utterly dark and depressing BOOGIE NIGHTS gets in its second half. The first half of MAGIC MIKE is light and breezy and quite funny. In fact, most of the jokes in here are funnier than most modern comedies try to achieve. We are introduced to this world that is fascinating because of how surprisingly mundane and economics-centered it is. The stripping sequences, filled with energy and sexiness, are mostly played for laughs. We get exposed to a lot of male asses, ripped abs, and pelvic thrusts, but it's all in good fun. Then, things slowly start to take a dark turn in the second half. It isn't hard to imagine people thinking, "Wait. Isn't this a stripping movie?" Characters start to make bad decisions and one thing leads to another and so on. You get the idea.

The cast is terrific all around. Channing Tatum is very good as the lead role, playing comedy and drama effectively. However, I want to give a huge shout out to Alex Pettyfr and Cody Horn, both pulling off terrific performances in their substantial roles. Pettyfr, in particular, I never really liked in the films he starred in before, but he is just phenomenal in this film. Horn, on the other hand, seemed to come out from nowhere, but her rapport with Tatum is terrific. Let's also not forget about Matthew McConaughey. Even though he isn't in the film that much, he steals every single scene he's in. He's just that good.

MAGIC MIKE will either surprise or disappoint you, depending on what your expectations are. Still, it's a film BOTH genders can enjoy, and it shouldn't be limited to "a movie for the ladies." MAGIC MIKE is funny and dramatic when it needs to be, but the main reason it succeeds is because of the cast. Overall, MAGIC MIKE is a very good film. Just don't expect a lot of stripping.

Magic Mike is more than just a sexy striptease

[lui-samantha · 7/10 · 14 July 2012]

A story about male strippers featuring the likes of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey is sure to rack up millions at the box office. But considering the fact that this dramedy was backed by an Academy Award-winning director, Magic Mike is more than just thongs, dollar bills, screaming women and sensuous grinding.

Directed by Steven Soderburgh (who won the Oscar for his work on Traffic), it's a film that deals with the deeper themes of life such as self-destruction, aging, ambition and a bit of romance as well.

In the film, Pettyfer plays Adam, a college-dropout who's staying with his older sister Brooke (Cody Horn) until he can figure out what he wants to do with his life. After getting hired for a construction job, he's soon taken under the wing of Mike (Tatum), a fellow roof tiler who spends his nights dancing in Tampa's Xquisite nightclub as a stripper.

After a night of partying, Adam is soon recruited to join Mike and his colleagues Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello), Tito (Adam Rodriguez), Ken (Matt Bomer) and Tarzan (Kevin Nash) to perform sexy strip routines every night. And soon enough, he's immersed in a world full of drugs, sex, women and alcohol.

Mike on the other hand, craves for more despite making a profitable income as a stripper. He yearns for a relationship with someone he can sit down and have a conversation with. But instead, he's reduced to one- night-stands with his booty call Joanna (Olivia Munn).

Job wise, he aspires to start a custom furniture business but struggles to lift off his career as an entrepreneur. But while he lacks intelligence as a business man, he's smart enough to see how the stripping industry can change a person as they get older. As club owner Dallas (played excellently by McConaughey) proves, the career can turn you into a selfish and conceited individual.

Written by Reid Carolin (Tatum's screen writing partner), Magic Mike is less about the stripping and more about the lifestyles of male strippers. Inspired by Tatum's own experiences as a young erotic dancer in Florida, the script perfectly balances between humour and drama while successfully capturing the repercussions and challenges that come with the profession (i.e drugs, self-destruction and vanity).

However, that's not to say the film doesn't have its fun and raunchy dance routines. With choreography provided by Alison Faulk, many of the dances are a little more embarrassing than sexy (with the exception of Tatum's hot strip-show number to Ginuwine's "Pony").

Acting wise, the one who steals the show is McConaughey, who perfectly and hilariously portrays the sleazy, skin-tight-leather-wearing Dallas. Tatum and Pettyfer on the other hand, hold their own despite sounding a bit rigid and unnatural at times. And with Horn well-casted for the role of Adam's concerned sister Brooke, it's just too bad the other actors such as Bomer, Rodriguez, Manganiello and Nash are left in the background dancing and grinding with not much to say.

While Magic Mike never offers full-on nudity as many would expect, Soderburgh's natural and well-paced direction provides an honest story about male strippers.

And whether or not you came to see the film for the chiseled bodies, this tale might just leave you with a different outlook on what it would be like to live as an erotic dancer.

Too much of one's ego and no director on sight to take hold on it:(

[afertak · 4/10 · 16 July 2012]

Well, well, well... I went on to see it thinking "You can't just get enough of pretty naked men". As it appeared I was wrong. First of all: although Channing Tatum here actually played his part instead of just being on the screen, I've had too much of his ego after first 40 minutes. Second: none of the cast, except for Matt McConaughey and Matt Bomer, was visible enough to create a full-blooded character. I will not mention their bad preparation, because I can't believe that you cannot teach Joe Manganiello how to dance. And third: it is really sad not to see the director's work. It seems like no one red the script to notice how bad it was, when it comes to structure and building characters. I got an impression that for some, money and wild party were the only reason to take part in this project. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to see more of "Let's make a good film" attitude rather than purely "Let's make loads of money from girls shy enough not to go into strip club"... It made me sad - I was counting on something that would be a start of amazing acting careers for Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez and Alex Pettyfer. Well, in my opinion this film won't help. Period.

Interesting Cinematography and Narrative, surprisingly good acting

[wade-121 · 2 July 2012]

Mild spoilers follow.

So I decided to take a look at Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike" because of both its content matter and potential film historical importance (Soderbergh has announced he is retiring, making this his third to last film) of the work itself. I admit I didn't have terribly high expectations, especially after the weak acting and shallow plot of the last Soderbergh film I saw, the beat-em-up "Haywire"; I was pleasantly surprised by the interesting narrative construction and the seemingly quick and dirty camera-work.

One thing he's known for is having Directed, DP'd (shot), and many of his films himself and from what I can tell, this is no exception. It has the same semi-verite style that began in The Girlfriend Experience and managed to keep my attention despite everything else in Haywire. Creative framing and unusual angles (sometimes even breaking the fundamental rules of cinematography) go wild here to great success. When "the kid" is first brought into a bar by Mike, he's tasked with chatting up two barely of-age girls. Mike arrives and the scene becomes a series of circular low-angle shots that are edited furiously in a dizzying circle. At first, it really bothered me and my film-school educated mind. The constant switching of screen positions and 180-degree violations made my head spin. Then quite suddenly I got it -- It wasn't hard to follow the dialogue, nor did the audience loose a sense of place. We'd seen the space in the beginning of the scene, and it allowed us to "be" intimately involved in the conversation. The swirling edits around the characters helped us to experience the same vague disorientation that "the kid" was. One particular moment I liked was a dialogue sequence shot as a long take as the two characters walked around a shallow sandbar. The camera tracks them 180-degrees as they walk from being half-in-sunlight to being backlit and then back again as they skirt the tiny island. At one point the sunlight shimmers off the water and reflects between the lens and (I assume) ND filter, creating a sparkling flair across the actors. It's a beautiful moment, and not just due to the unusual cinematography -- the dialogue is witty and believable and the actors are natural and comfortable.

Channing Tatum really came into his own in this one. I haven't, admittedly, been much of a fan of his through his previous acting endeavors. The part of Mike, however, seemed to fit him like a glove. Completely natural and unforced, he delivered an honest and vulnerable performance. It's the kind of breakout that Jim Carrey experienced in The Truman Show. I had assumed that Tatum was just a pretty face. I stand corrected. Cody Horn was excellent as the romantic interest, as was Alex Pettyfer as her little brother, "the kid." Matthew McConaughey's smarmy character Dallas was literally oozing the sexuality and back-room cash-only inuuendo that one would expect from a strip club owner. His confrontation with Tatum's Mike was a particularly well-acted scene.

Narratively it was what you would expect, but I enjoyed the way it was constructed, with the storyline of the starry-eyed kid following a trajectory similar to Mike's past, combined with Mike's own coming-of-age plot and a pleasant romantic sideplot. It reminded me of old Italian neo-realist gems -- it felt like a slice of life, and ended on a up note but without a whole lot of resolution. The dialogue was witty but not forced and felt natural, as if in a documentary.

Overall, a good film and definitely worth a look.