Arts & Entertainment

'Magic Mike' Reviews Are in, But Who Really Cares?

Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum head up the studly cast of an all-male revue in "Magic Mike."

Magic Mike” tells the story of an aspiring entrepreneur pursuing the American dream … who are we kidding? Who really cares about the plot?

Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and a cast of handsome Hollywood hunks show off their best assets as strippers in an all-male revue.

AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire compares the movie to “Sex and the City.”

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“This is a movie that’s tailor-made for groups of friends to get together and giggle and ogle at the spectacle of it all. And it is a lot of fun -- there’s no shame, we’re all friends here -- but it’s also more substantial than you might expect, and more mundane,” Lemire wrote on Boston.com.

The more mundane aspect centers on Magic Mike’s (Tatum) efforts to start his own business.

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“Come for the beefcake, stay for the economics lesson,” Lemire added.

Perri Nemiroff of Shockya.com admitted wanting to see “Magic Mike” for one reason and one reason only.

“In all honesty, I’m not usually one to seek out a film for the sake of eye candy alone. But 'Magic Mike' is a different story and, can you blame me? While I definitely got what I came for in that respect, 'Magic Mike' turned out to be much more than a star-studded peep show of a feature; it’s got substance,” Nemiroff wrote.

According to Nemiroff, moviegoers checking out “Magic Mike” just for the show will not be disappointed.  

“The strippers are present and accounted for, but so is a surprisingly thoughtful plot that actually manages to steal the spotlight quite often. Turns out, these strippers really do have feelings, too,” Nemiroff explained.

Here’s what other movie critics had to say about “Magic Mike”:

“Shoulda been big fun, but a deadly combination of no script and a strange lack of sexiness renders this male-stripper tale an aimless, although very commercially calculated, bore.” - David Noh, Filmjournal.com
“[Director Steven] Soderbergh clearly gets a kick out of flipping the gender roles of sexual objectification. The club scenes cater to male fantasies of mass female adoration, while the hordes of delirious, drunken women stuffing singles into jockstraps represent a liberating switch from the usual depictions of sleazy men leering at pole dancers.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“… enlisting a squad of Hollywood hunks to strip down to their thongs alongside him, Tatum (backed by producing partner Reid Carolin) drains the shame from a profession that gets no respect, serving up a guiltless girls' night out likely to rank among the summer's word-of-mouth sensations.” – Peter DeBruge, Variety

"Magic Mike" stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias.

The movie is rated R for pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use.

Showtimes:

Ready to see "Magic Mike"? Head to , 2480 East-West Connector. For more theater information, showtimes and pricing, click here or call (770) 439-7767.


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