The Reviews are in for Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper film titled Magic Mike, starring Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer. The film chronicles Tatum’s real life accounts as a male stripper and the highs and lows of using his body to make a living. When it comes to this film, it might be safe to say all the talk in the ladies room is good, but what do the middle aged, pot belly critics have to say?
“Soderbergh clearly gets a kick out of flipping the gender roles of sexual objectification. The club scenes cater to male fantasies of mass female adoration, while the hoards of delirious, drunken women stuffing singles into jockstraps represent a liberating switch from the usual depictions of sleazy men leering at pole-dancers.” Said David Rooney over at The Hollywood Reporter.
Variety’s Perter Debruge manage to say, “In addition to the role’s physical demands, [Tatum] has the added challenge of making it look effortless, and Tatum’s gift comes in playing things casual, inhabiting the character without having to spell out an elaborate backstory. Of the other strippers, McConaughey steals the spotlight, adding yet another strong characterization to a respect-building streak that began with “The Lincoln Lawyer” last year. Meanwhile, a certain dopeyness serves Adam well, and Pettyfer proves an excellent case of a director using his star’s limited acting abilities to the film’s advantage.”
Movieline’s Jen Yamato speaking for the ladies wrote,” One could simply call it absolutely spectacular on account of the man meat, which certainly delivers on raunchy, knowing fun. But it’s the deeper themes, captured in an observational style, that really make Magic Mike work as more than just a cheap thrill. It may be a stripper movie, but it’s also about economic self-determination and the struggle between art vs. commerce — and that goes as much for Soderbergh and Tatum as it does for the characters grasping for dollars, and their creative destinies, on-screen.”
One thing is for sure, there is going to be a lot of female and gay dollars supporting this film, but what about the straight male audience? Is there something for them in this movie?
Magic Mike shakes what his mama gave him in theaters June 29.
