Magic Mike

Movies about female strippers are a dime-a-dozen, but aside from The Full Monty, this is the first mainstream film about male exotic dancers. Affable Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) stars in the Kings of Tampa strip show but his ambition is to become a custom furniture designer/craftsman. Working in construction, Mike meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer), a 19-year-old dropout, whom he introduces as the Kid to Xquisite dance club owner/M.C. Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). A naive newcomer to dirty dancing, the Kid picks up thong pointers from other strippers (played by Joe Managiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, and WWE's Kevin Nash). Meanwhile, Adam's overprotective sister, Brooke, (Cody Horn) is dismayed that her cocky brother has become engulfed in the stoned party scene and she's also attracted to good-hearted, gyrating Mike. But when Dallas decides to move the tawdry troupe to a big-time venue in Miami, major complications arise. Director Steven Soderbergh's fantasy-driven, role-reversal beefcake feast depicts men as sleazy sex objects in Chippendales-style butt-cheeks-baring chaps, gathering money in their jockstraps while searching for artistic validity in other realms. While not as narratively daring as other Soderbergh films, Magic Mike benefits from strong performances by Tatum (who once worked as a stripper) and McConaughey, whose rippling torso and amusing banter steal the movie. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Dance Play Mode” with all the dance sequences back to back (19 min.), extended dance scenes (9 min.), and a “Backstage” behind-the-scenes featurette (7 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid film.] (S. Granger)