Jason KingMAGIC MIKE: A Review by Salty
July 25th 2012 08:22
:
Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer getting their kit off = win win
So all I needed to know about this one was that Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer were in it and that they get their kit off - ok - sign me up 
The thing that blew my mind at the end of this film was that I discovered it was a Steven Soderbergh film - who'd have thought? Can you tell I never really got past the Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer thing? Anyways this is a pretty basic film of escaping the routines of a badly chosen life. As a friend of mine said on FB - this is pretty much the male version of Flashdance in modern days and then amp it up with some drugs and drink. The story is also based loosely on the real life of Channing Tatum who prior to being a ladder climber in the Hollywood acting legions was a bonafide B Grade, and somewhat much uglier, male stripper with a hideous flat top.
The film follows Mike (Tatum) as he shows The Kid (Pettyfer) the ropes and ways of enjoying the highlife, quick cash and easy sexed life of the male stripper. But is it as good as it seems?????
OK - firstly the film started bothering me from the start, it had the most stupid palate of filters - it is overly toned down orange and it kept getting on my nerves - then Soderbergh does the occasional music filled number while the camera follows cars or admires views or whatever but the stuff they were filming was shit - OK - maybe it is the view of Tampa - but don't try and make shit look good - film good to start with. Like more Magic Mike or the Kid
The acting in this film is really damn fine. Tatum really holds the film as the serious dude who is doing the bad stuff to make money to get into a better life and he lives by a moral code but like most of these kinds of films - everything is there to try and bring him down and block his path. I can't rave enough about Tatum - he has been much hated by critics but most of them agree re this film that he has gotten much better. Pettyfer is ok as The Kid - but the character is just a brain dead fool who I wanted to slap - I know Pettyfer is not really like that so his acting must have been pretty good. It doesn't help that Pettyfer is trying to be a Hollywood bad boy - he was such a nice cute kid in Stormbreaker and I Am Number 4 - it is sad he is kind of becoming a tool.
But the man that steels the show in this film is Matthew McConaughey - he embraces the sleaziness of this role and owns it - he was sensational - his character was a disgusting pig but god he was good at it and for such a Hollywood actor he had no problem playing this scantily clad character, I think he actually enjoyed it
Tatum has always been an amazing dancer and he really is the centrepiece of this troupe of hot dudes - but I am not sure his style of dancing was ideal for stripping - it was more from his Step Up film than a strip joint - but that body damn well knows how to move. One thing I will say though - I just found the dry humping of the stage such a HUGE turn off - as I do those tiny G Strings - I honestly preferred Pettyfer's nervous first strip where he was normal and human as opposed to choreographed sleaze. I found it just dirty and not sexy.
And the last thing that annoyed me was Cody Horn - the love interest, the morally grounded person, the Kid's sister and the one Mike is drawn too - why oh why???? She was great as the moral compass but she was such a frownie downer - she was like a living valium - how was Mike drawn to this? And I picked up absolute minimum chemistry and a hideous fake laugh from Horn that pissed me off.
There is some great acting in this one from all the leads and if you like these hot gents near naked and grinding their hips then this is for you but to me it was more Showgirls than Boogie Nights. It is not your typical Soderbergh film but it will make millions from horny ladies and gay men Out tomorrow July 26th in Oz and for me (and Tobias) we agreed on a 6 out of 10.
The thing that blew my mind at the end of this film was that I discovered it was a Steven Soderbergh film - who'd have thought? Can you tell I never really got past the Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer thing? Anyways this is a pretty basic film of escaping the routines of a badly chosen life. As a friend of mine said on FB - this is pretty much the male version of Flashdance in modern days and then amp it up with some drugs and drink. The story is also based loosely on the real life of Channing Tatum who prior to being a ladder climber in the Hollywood acting legions was a bonafide B Grade, and somewhat much uglier, male stripper with a hideous flat top.
This is Channing Tatum when he was stripping
The film follows Mike (Tatum) as he shows The Kid (Pettyfer) the ropes and ways of enjoying the highlife, quick cash and easy sexed life of the male stripper. But is it as good as it seems?????
OK - firstly the film started bothering me from the start, it had the most stupid palate of filters - it is overly toned down orange and it kept getting on my nerves - then Soderbergh does the occasional music filled number while the camera follows cars or admires views or whatever but the stuff they were filming was shit - OK - maybe it is the view of Tampa - but don't try and make shit look good - film good to start with. Like more Magic Mike or the Kid
The acting in this film is really damn fine. Tatum really holds the film as the serious dude who is doing the bad stuff to make money to get into a better life and he lives by a moral code but like most of these kinds of films - everything is there to try and bring him down and block his path. I can't rave enough about Tatum - he has been much hated by critics but most of them agree re this film that he has gotten much better. Pettyfer is ok as The Kid - but the character is just a brain dead fool who I wanted to slap - I know Pettyfer is not really like that so his acting must have been pretty good. It doesn't help that Pettyfer is trying to be a Hollywood bad boy - he was such a nice cute kid in Stormbreaker and I Am Number 4 - it is sad he is kind of becoming a tool.
But the man that steels the show in this film is Matthew McConaughey - he embraces the sleaziness of this role and owns it - he was sensational - his character was a disgusting pig but god he was good at it and for such a Hollywood actor he had no problem playing this scantily clad character, I think he actually enjoyed it
Tatum has always been an amazing dancer and he really is the centrepiece of this troupe of hot dudes - but I am not sure his style of dancing was ideal for stripping - it was more from his Step Up film than a strip joint - but that body damn well knows how to move. One thing I will say though - I just found the dry humping of the stage such a HUGE turn off - as I do those tiny G Strings - I honestly preferred Pettyfer's nervous first strip where he was normal and human as opposed to choreographed sleaze. I found it just dirty and not sexy.
And the last thing that annoyed me was Cody Horn - the love interest, the morally grounded person, the Kid's sister and the one Mike is drawn too - why oh why???? She was great as the moral compass but she was such a frownie downer - she was like a living valium - how was Mike drawn to this? And I picked up absolute minimum chemistry and a hideous fake laugh from Horn that pissed me off.
There is some great acting in this one from all the leads and if you like these hot gents near naked and grinding their hips then this is for you but to me it was more Showgirls than Boogie Nights. It is not your typical Soderbergh film but it will make millions from horny ladies and gay men
Out tomorrow July 26th in Oz and for me (and Tobias) we agreed on a 6 out of 10.| 40 |
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Comment by The Rusty Can
Everything
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Linh
Celluloid Fun
Great review.
I like films where the director moves out of their comfort zone and does something very different. This film sounds great and one of my favourite films by Steven Soderbergh is Sex, Lies and Videotape.
Looking forward to seeing this film.
Cheers!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness