SkimIt
Magic Mike (opening June 29)
The Details: Channing Tatum used to be a stripper, which inspired this R-rated movie in which, well, Channing Tatum plays a stripper. Tatum's veteran stripper Magic Mike tutors a newcomer to the life (Alex Pettyfer) while awkwardly romancing the kid's sister (Cody Horn) and thinking about starting a new career as a furniture maker. Matthew McConaughey co-stars as the club owner. Steven Soderbergh, somewhat improbably, directs.
The Trailer: Think Boogie Nights, only set in the present and minus the sex, the drugs, the danger and the interesting characters. Seriously, the main conflict in the film is whether the title character is going to stop stripping and start making furniture. Who honestly cares? On the plus side, the film's Florida setting allows Soderbergh to get a lot of lovely golden beach scenes.
The Buzz: It's a shame this movie is opening in theaters after the end of the June wedding season, because it seems like the target audience is bachelorette parties who want to hoot and squeal at a gyrating, half-naked Channing Tatum. The characterization seems paper thin (Pettyfer's character doesn't even seem to have a name), and when the one-note McConaughey is the most interesting and charismatic person on screen, you're in trouble. No wonder Soderbergh claims to want to retire from directing.
