Magic Mike

There’s a little bit more to Magic Mike than first appears. It’s the tale of Mike (Channing Tatum last seen in 21 Jump Street), who is maybe not magic, but certainly puts a spell on his audience of baying ladies at the local male review strip club where he works. Mike has bigger ideas than stripping, he’s an entrepreneur and dreams of making his own, rather gaudy in my opinion, custom made furniture. Mike takes Adam (Alex Pettyfer, I am Number Four) under his wing after meeting him on a building site and noting his loser qualities. Adam quickly takes on the role of new boy in the strip club and seems to have found his niche. Unfortunately whilst Mike seems to be able to handle the heady heights of male stripperdom, Adam has a little more trouble and soon starts to go off the rails, what with all the free drugs and..ahem..ladies throwing themselves at his lovely lithe frame. Who knew that there was a sleazy side to the sex industry? Luckily for Adam, he has a sister to watch out for him, her name is Brooke (Cody Horn, Rescue Me) and she reluctantly strikes a flirtship with Mike. The Club is run by the indomitable Dallas (Matthew McConnaughey, no introduction needed) an occasional stripper and full time sleaze. Mike starts to think that maybe there is more to life than adulation, shagging different women every night and making a bank roll of dough. When Dallas starts to show his true colours, and Brooke starts to question his integrity, which path will Mike choose? Magic Mike is a well worn formula of retribution and reform, but it works well. thanks mainly to a tight script and the charms of Channing Tatum and Mr McConnaughey. Now Channing is not my cup of tea, but he has an innate sweetness and is hugely likeable, and man, can that boy dance! It’s also nice to see Matthew McConnaughely stretching himself in a role (pun intended), rather than his usual lazy shirtless rom-com phone-ins, he actually shows what a great actor he is. He’s a sinister blend of erotically charged sleaze bag, with a bit of viper thrown in for good measure. Ironically, this is one of his best roles to date, and he is shirtless for most of the time..difficult to watch, but I managed it. The dance scenes are quite mesmerising, you don't know where to look first... Incidentally watch out for Riley Keough as strung out groupie Nora, for she is none other than The King’s, Mr Elvis Presley’s granddaughter. Alex Pettyfer shows potential as Adam, the only real piece of bad casting is Cody Horn as Brooke. She has all the charm and charisma of a pair of your nan’s knickers. Her expressions run from apathy to disappointment, but she does those two well. Not sure what the lovely Mike sees in her, probably his nan... MAGIC MIKE: It’ll have you entertaining thoughts you haven’t had since the Take That ‘Pray’ video...ABRACADABRA! 6.5/10