WIthin the opening scene of Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike, Matthew McConaughey charms his way out of the brilliant but sadistic Killer Joe from weeks past, as he informs the ladies of the crowd what the law says they cannot touch, ending with one of those great moments of cinema. "I see a lot of law-breakers out there". A sublime start to a light drama set in the world of Florida's male stripper community.

Channing Tatum continues an outstanding 2012 with Magic Mike, as he plays the titular stripper, a man working odd-jobs and performing nightly to make ends meet, until he can finally ditch it all for the sake of starting up a custom furniture business. The money is good enough, there's plenty of women at his will, and all the attention his ego could want, but for Mike, there's something permanent missing in the fleeting fun of it all.

Mike takes up loser Adam, a 19-year-old deadbeat slacker, hounded by sister Brook (Cody Horn) into getting a job, and as Adam learns the ropes on the stage, the audience is given an in into the world.

 

Magic Mike is a simple film of simple pleasures. One of them being seeing young flesh on display in tantalising positions, with men doing insane routines for those interested. But on top of the obvious interest that a lot of the marketing has gone for, Magic Mike is a darn entertaining drama, with likable characters, and a cracking Tatum dolling out lines and witty back-and-forths that make him as endearing as possible. Pettyfer manages to be an interesting screen presence, handling a lot of the darker parts of the film, and with a structure that can be easily compared to Boogie Nights, having it get pulled off with relative aplomb is something of a compliment.

But beyond Tatum, the big key player is charm factory McConaughey, oozing the charisma we expect, but not hitting all the notes he would for standard studio fare, there's a nice dollop of sinister alongside the fun-loving nature. The fact that most of his dialogue as MC of the entertainment is "Alright, Alright Alright" obviously helps. If you can't acknowledge the way the world perceives you from time to time, what's the point. A nice nod in a terrific performance.

 

Soderbergh is the biggest redemption of the film, after a career worst with Haywire, the thanklessly un-engaging, unentertaining slog of a misfire, he's back and chomping at the bit. Magic Mike isn't the artiest film, but it has a few slightly off-kilter moments that veer it away from basic mainstream fare. However, in the same light it's also a super entertaining, joyous flick full of fun, great characters and a party atmosphere. Shot beautifully, and with a script that has let a lot of the performances feel natural, possibly to the point of pure improvisation, Magic Mike is a wonderful event. A film for the masses, for the general populous that you don't feel guilty loving. Lovely plot, wonderfully paced, raucous at times and subdued when required. Crowd-pleasing, and all the better for it.