Ileana’s Movie Review: Channing Tatum is Magical as Mike

Magic Mike

Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn

Summary: Mike (Tatum) is just an ordinary guy with aspirations of a better life. He also happens to dance at the Xquisite Male Dance Revue as one of their top performers. While out on the town one night Mike runs into Adam (Pettyfer), a goofy kid he met a few days earlier, and recruits him to be a stripper. Under Magic Mike’s tutelage “the Kid” becomes a star, much to the dismay of his older sister Brooke (Horn). Mike realizes that he wants more out of life as his relationship with Brooke develops. In essence, this movie is about a stripper who wants more out of life, he just doesn’t know what it is that he wants.

Magic Mike is loosely based on Channing Tatum’s real-life experiences as an exotic dancer. Like his character in the movie, Channing wanted to be more than just a hot body in a strip club. It’s quite obvious that Tatum has remembered the skills of his youth. He is absolutely electrifying on stage. The movie itself is quite funny and you really feel for Mike as he goes through his daily routine. He’s really a nice guy who wants to do better, and that’s a story anyone could relate to. The fact that he’s half naked a lot of the time is just a bonus.

Trivia: Channing Tatum originally wanted Nicolas Winding Refn to direct the film (Drive, Bronson)

Rated: R – For pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use.

Grade: B