Magic Mike

This film was the first midnight showing I had ever been to, and I have to admit, it was definitely worth having to spend the rest of the day groggy. Despite the fact that I had been waiting for over a month to go see this movie, I have to admit that, based on the previews, my expectations were not that high. My main motivation was Channing Tatum, not because he’s easy on the eyes, but because I really enjoyed his last venture into comedy, 21 Jump Street. Also, because of Tatum’s past as an exotic dancer, I knew that he would bring some realism into the role.

Magic Mike centers around the world of male strippers, and I enjoyed how the film focused on the more comedic and optimistic side of the industry instead of the seedy and tragic side, as previous films focused on the stripping industry such as The Player’s Club have done. While this film has an overall light-hearted and humorous tone, it also explores the darker sides of the character’s life, such as drug use, casual sex with customers, and title character Mike’s fear that he will never achieve his dreams and become jaded by the industry like Matthew McConaughey’s character, former stripper turned club owner Dallas.

The viewer is introduced to the lifestyle as Mike trains newcomer Adam (played by Alex Pettyfer), and a lot of the humor of the film is found in the awkward moments that Adam has as he comes into the career, such as being caught shaving his legs with his sister’s razor and a sketchy routine training session from Dallas. I ended up loving this film because, unlike a lot of the other comedies I’ve seen, the funny moments don’t feel forced or unrealistic. Instead of relying purely on sexual innuendos and cheap humor, Magic Mike embraces some of the awkward and embarrassing moments in life that we all can relate to.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film, and I found it to be incredibly refreshing. Channing Tatum was loveable, charming, and even humble as Mike, and his struggles feel universal as he tries to break away from the club’s easy money in order to pursue his passion of designing furniture. Another thing that stood out to me was even though there is a romantic relationship between Mike and Adam’s sister Brooke, the relationship doesn’t devour the entire plot of the film. The film remains centered on male camaraderie without falling into the overdone “bromance” category.

I would definitely recommend going out and seeing this film. The eye candy and choreography may draw you in, but the actual storyline will resonate with you once the film comes to a close.