Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape – 1989) is at it again, this time bringing us the erotic drama/comedy Magic Mike, which is draped in sexual prowess and a hint of romance. By humanizing the often shady underworld of erotic dancers, Soderbergh is able to bring us one of the summer’s most provocative high-tempo male-revue flicks not seen since Boogie Nights (1997). It seems to be a “Chippendale dancers” meets Step up the movie, with lots of tantalizing dance numbers that exude masculinity and encompasses over the top greased-up, stripped-down, body-shot-fueled decadence. It is certainly not for the faint of heart or the sexually introverted.
This somewhat over-the-top story was apparently derived from lead man Channing Tatum’s early career experiences as a stripper before his acting career took off, but its basic ingredients are simple enough that it could have been conceived from scratch. It has a basic story line that flows quite well with what one would expect of the “Male Stripper” line of work and comes across as very believable and realistic set of scenarios. And yes, it is quite conceivable that they go thong shopping. READ FULL REVIEW