Image from filmofilia.com
Does your job define you? “Magic Mike” certainly doesn’t think so, and he leaves viewers wondering the same.
Despite IMDb’s bland overview (“A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money”), the late June release is about more than scantily clad men.
Inspired by the life of lead actor Channing Tatum, Magic Mike explores the perceived lifestyle of those who begin working when the sun goes down. Mike (Tatum) is the star performer at Xquisite, an all male dance revue, and damn, can Mike dance. He certainly doesn’t have a problem bringing in the big bucks from his nighttime venture, but this “stripper entrepreneur” wants something more out of life.
Working all day and all night, Mike spends the daylight hours working in the construction field. Additionally, he has a custom furniture business in the works. Using his seductive dance moves to fuel his entrepreneurial dreams, Mike thinks he’s got it all figured out. Until he meets Adam, that is.
Adam (Alex Pettyfer) was the golden boy, a smart kid with a football scholarship. However, one thing led to the next, and now he’s sleeping on his sister’s couch. When a Craigslist advertisement points him in Mike’s direction, Adam loses one job and stumbles into another. Goodbye Adam, hello “The Kid!”
Despite his mentor’s somewhat sensible approach to working as an exotic dancer, “The Kid” has no such inclination. Welcoming the easy women, accessible drugs, and ever-present partying, nineteen-year-old Adam is all for instant gratification. This newfound lifestyle causes Brooke, Adam’s older sister, to grow increasingly concerned, eventually turning to Mike in rage and confusion.
Almost as if he’s watching himself as a young adult, Mike does his best to salvage the situation. Stepping outside of his comfort zone, Mike is forced to go in a new direction and hope Adam can go the same. Indeed, Magic Mike has a solid storyline, albeit, the ending is a bit rushed.
Magic Mike also stars Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Olivia Munn. With such an impressive lineup, it’s definitely a film worth seeing!
