When I first saw the previews for the movie Magic Mike I thought, who would ever want to see this? It looks terrible! I am not a big fan of Matthew McConaughey, and I don't really like Channing Tatum is that attractive. While I like some of the movies Channing has been in, he didn't strike me as having too much of a personality on screen. In short, this movie just didn't appeal to me.
For those of you who are unaware of the premise of the movie, allow
IMDB to explain: "A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money."
Yeah, not my first choice for movie night. But when my friend Jess said she had a two-for-one movie pass and suggested we make a girls' night of it, I couldn't resist. Let me say for the record, I was wrong to pre-judge this movie. It was actually really fun!
Yes, it's a movie about strippers. And yes, Matthew McConaughey pretty much plays himself (remember
this?). Nevertheless, it was a good, fun story. It was much funnier than I thought it would be. And the dancing was amazing. I was really impressed by the choreography, and by Channing Tatum's moves. Apparently this movie is semi-autobiographical since he used to really be a stripper in Tampa. It shows.
Funny story about that. I'll let Jess tell it:
When [Jess's husband] John picked me up last night, he asked how the movie was and I told him is was really good and that he should probably see it. I said the best part, or the part I had most respect for, was Channing Tatum's performance because previously I thought he made bad movies but I was really impressed with his acting and especially his dance skills. John didn't know who I was talking about so when I got home, I found a clip from the movie. I was hoping John could see his actual dance skills to know that I wasn't just talking about his "moves"--I was trying to legitimize the movie for John a bit. John sees the clip and says "I think I know that guy". And I said, "yeah, he is in quite a few movies" and John says "no, I really know that guy". At this point, we do some research and find out that "Magic Mike" was actually based on some of Channing Tatum's own experience as a stripper in Tampa when he was 19 but also that he attended Tampa Catholic High. Turns out, John's best friend growing up attended Tampa Catholic and played football with Channing Tatum. John said he remembers seeing him around and at parties. Hilarious!
In the end, I would actually recommend this movie. It's fun, has great dance moves, and isn't too hard on the eyes :)
For a ladies' night, I saw this movie too, which I had not even heard of until I got home to the States. I liked the film too, except for the female lead. She was the worst! Not only did she have the acting ability of dryer lint, but she was not remotely attractive. Her body was no big deal, and she carries so much tension in her face that it looks like she's holding a mouth full of jawbreakers. Good movie (even Matthew McConaughey absolutely playing himself), but she was a terrible casting choice.
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