Magic Mike

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!



Today's review is Magic Mike.



Directed by Steven Soderbergh.



Written by Reid Carolin.



Review #165

MPAA Rating: R for pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use.

Runtime: 130 min

Cast

Matthew McConaughey ... Dallas

Channing Tatum ... Magic Mike

Olivia Munn ... Joanna

Alex Pettyfer ... Adam

Cody Horn ... Brooke

Joe Manganiello ... Big Dick Richie

Matt Bomer ... Ken

Adam Rodriguez ... Tito

Kevin Nash ... Tarzan

Gabriel Iglesias ... Tobias

Steven Soderbergh is a really good film maker. One of the qualities that make him unique is his range. He's done everything. Comedies, Action and even Horror. You're probably asking what horror film did Soderbergh direct. The answer is Contagion. You are fooling yourself if you think it's not one of the scariest films of 2011. All that aside, Soderbergh is a wizard in the drama genre. He knows pacing and how to give the shallowest character or story immense depth.

His wizardry is in full swing here with Magic Mike.

Plot


A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money. 

This is a very small sample of what Magic Mike has to offer. It may be the plot line that eventually dominates but at it's core the film is all about Mike and his journey to better himself and his life. He's not a stripper for life. He wants to do other things that showcase his talent away from the tips and thongs. The problem is that the roadblocks that Mike faces end up sending him down a path that trips him up. This is exacerbated by his relationship with Adam. Soderbergh does a masterful job bringing this out while putting Brooke smack dab in the middle of the mess.

The cast is superb here. Highlighted by Matthew McConaughey's Dallas. As the host of the club and leader he sets the tone for what happens all the way through. He employs a strut that intimidates and seduces. The rest of the guys all have their moments but it's their work together that shines. They are a band of brothers. Maybe not in the soldier sense but they look out for each other nonetheless. They support each other and truly care about each others well being.

They even pass for pretty good strippers too.

It was clear that all of the guys with the exception of Kevin Nash went to stripper university and learned the moves necessary to make it rain in the club. Nash is a professional wrestler who has had more injuries than any of us can count. It's a miracle that he can walk let alone wiggle his hips. So liberties were taken with his character when his solo performance was shown. The rest of the guys do a pretty convincing job starting with Channing Tatum.

He's a tough guy for me to get a read on. His acting career began with the Step Up movies because he's a tremendous hip hop dancer. Then his later action roles have been less than stellar. In fact his roles are very similar to his Magic Mike character. A pretty boy that's taken seriously only for his looks and not for other abilities and talents he actually has. He does have some acting ability but hasn't been around the right director that can bring it out of him. Soderbergh does that here. His performance here is not going to get him any gold statues. But he finds a way to break away from this hip hop pretty boy mold despite his character being exactly that. Tatum humanizes Mike and makes him more than just the object he's perceived to be.

This is once again thanks to Soderbergh. He reigns in all of the superfluous aspects of the male stripper world and keeps it grounded for Mike. It's a means to an end for him and Tatum takes the ball and runs with that philosophy. Soderbergh also does something that I absolutely love with Magic Mike. He keeps the music/score down to the bare minimum. This is a common trait to his films. He doesn't let a score get in the way of the emotions of a scene. Music can sometime be a huge barricade in that regard. Magic Mike is a dramedy but with the right or wrong song depending on how you look at it could easily be transformed into a run of the mill rom-com. The balance between the two is very very delicate and Soderbergh's lack of a score gives Magic Mike the punch it needs to pull the right feeling across.

It's that respect for his performers and their performance that gives Magic Mike more heart and depth than it normally would be expected. Magic Mike was a really good movie that has a lot more to offer than just half naked men gyrating on stage for sex starved women. If that's all you see when you think of this film then you're missing out.

Grow up and see this flick.

On the 5 star scale. Magic Mike gets 4 stars with a "Go See It" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today. Up next is The Dark Knight Rises.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"