Magic Mike. Every woman with a pulse has been gearing up for its release ever since that Raining Men trailer first popped up in advertising. And we’ve been waiting a while for a film like this aimed at women. Us girls have spent much of our cinema time hearing our male friends declare “she’d get it” while watching scantily clad women be really integral to the plot line....
While males will probably be rolling their eyes, denouncing male strippers as “so gay”, there is actually more to this film than a group of muscly men grinding in sparkly thongs. There’s a deeper story of a man trying to realise his dream, and more to the point trying to figure out if that’s even the dream he really wants, which makes this movie more than just a sausage fest.
The film opens with some sexual banter to get the ball rolling from Matthew McConaughey (giving one of his best performances to date) which whets the appetite for those film-goers purely here to have a free pass to be a bit pervy in a socially acceptable situation.
After this kickstart, things slow down considerably with a selection of mundane scenes which get the audience to understand that Adam (Alex Pettyfer) has no skills whatsoever, and Mike (Channing Tatum) has far too many.
The action picks up when Adam attempts to get into a club in a hoody and sneakers (gasp!) but is saved by Mike who eludes the bouncers with his winning charm and biceps.
The rest of the film is a spectacular array of cheesy dance routines, an insight into the world of this underground profession, and Tatum playing it fun and lovable (although his scene in drag can only be described as disturbing).
The central love-story, Mike’s relationship with Brooke (Cody Horn), somehow doesn’t ring true. We jump too quickly from friend’s sister to I’ll-give-up-my-whole-future-for-you. While this does make a good ending, it just seems hollow. In truth, Brooke as a character is merely an irritation, only adding a moral compass and nagging requests.
From on-set gossip it seems that Alex Pettyfer considered himself the star of this flick, and that certainly reflects his character’s attitude by the end of the film. He’s grown up from the kid in Stormbreaker and he portrays Adam well, even if that is just an extension of his own vain personality.
If you’re looking for something visually stunning then go see Snow White, but if you’re happy with just ‘visually hot’ then grab some friends and with a girlish giggle request your tickets for Magic Mike. Boyfriends, don’t panic. Your girlfriend will temporarily be disillusioned about what the male physique should look like but eventually the heat will die down.
At least until the DVD release....
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