MAGIC MIKE

Vinny says: So whilst there is not much on currently, it being the Dark Knight Rises week, the trailers for Magic Mike convinced me that I had to see this film about....male strippers. Yes really. Having seen Channing Tatum give an impressive performance in 21 Jump Street, it appears he is actually quite funny. Throw in Alex Pettyfer (of Stormrider fame) and I was convinced. Basic synopsis is Mike (Tatum) introduces Adam or 'The Kid' (Pettyfer) to the debauched world of stripping. That is literally the plot.

The first 3/4 of the film were enjoyable, lots of good dance routines and men with no tops on. However when it all started to go downhill for the roguish strippers, I began to wish they had just left it as frivolous bit of stripping froth. The 'bad' side of stripping didn't really hit the mark, just featured some drug taking and vomit. Plus I found it hard to empathize with Mike in his dream to one day stop stripping and design future out of bits of junk, it's hardly heart-wrenching stuff. When compared to another stripping film I really like - The Full Monty, which dealt with poverty, unemployment, depression and provided a believable picture of the dismal climate of Thatcherite England, Magic Mike seemed shallow and juvenile in comparison. Which I suppose could sum up the whole film. However I still would rather watch The Full Monty any-day, even though the men in the film are nowhere near as physically attractive, as it is simply a much better film. Plus the soundtrack for The Full Monty is insanely good, think Wilson Pickett and Donna Summer. 

That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy two hours of mindless gawping at men's abs during Magic Mike. Matthew McConaughey gave an excellent performance as the egotistical and extremely tanned 'Dallas', basically manager of the strippers and King Stripper himself. Watching him parade around in snakeskin flares and no top for the majority of the film whilst teaching the young recruit 'The Kid' how to dance in front of the mirror 'like he was going to fuck it' was highly amusing. This is the perfect film for a ladies night, providing amusement, entertainment and men gyrating in G Strings. However don't go expecting anything meaningful, I would describe Magic Mike as the female equivalent of those lad comedies featuring semi naked women, eg Old School, American Pie, Megan Fox in Transformers, something men like to drool at, but are hardly cinematic masterpieces. At least the shoe was on the proverbial other foot for once, after the deluge of films centered around pleasing their male audiences, to see some men being objectified was refreshing. 

Ladies - treat yourselves.

Warning: For all those prudes or individuals considering taking your grandma/boyfriend/younger pals, there is a penis shot early on in the film.