Movie Week – Magic Mike

So the second half of the Soderbergh double feature was Magic Mike.  Being someone who genuinely trusts Steven Soderbergh, I really kind of wanted to see Magic Mike in the theater. 

But I’m a guy who’s cool with going to see a movie dolo.  But considering that certain segments of the population were using Magic Mike for group outings, I felt like I’d be really out of place in that theater alone.  Plus it seemed like the type of flick that elicited audience interaction. 

Fortunately I was able to watch Magic Mike while chilling at home. 

I’ve got to say that I appreciate how they got the nudity out of the way right off the bat and how evenhanded it was.  Topless women are always a plus (unless we’re talking Top of the Lake, but that’s a story for another post.) 

Magic Mike was interesting.  It was so much better than just a male version of Showgirls.  It had a decent level of depth to it.  I thought the way the film took us into the grind of stripping was a nice touch.  Seeing Mike hustling to get people into the club, really grounded the film in a certain reality. 

I think I could have done without the central romance in the film, but I suppose with a movie that has an arc more than a story you need something to balance things out.  And when you’ve got Channing Tatum and are catering to a female audience , you need to have a character that they wish they could be, so no matter how forced it felt, I I understand it’s inclusion.  

I felt sort of bad that not all of the strippers really got a chance to reveal their characters.  For instance, I wish we could have learned how Kevin Nash got a job as a stripper despite having no discernable rhythm at all. 

Of course I enjoyed the downside of stripping; the drugs and double crossing, the lack of meaningful relationships and the inability to secure a bank loan.  And I liked how the ending left a lot up in the air.

I also really liked the glimpse of the lifestyle.  The hurricane party and daytrips to islands really stood out as dope parts of being a stripper.   Unsurprisingly there was a ton of exposed male flesh, but really you get desensitized to it.  So any guys reading this who are afraid they might catch a mean case of homosexuality from watching Magic Mike, I can assure you that you won’t. 

While it may not be my favorite Soderbergh movie (or even my favorite Soderbergh movie watched that night) Magic Mike is still a movie I’d recommend and one that I genuinely enjoyed.