Magic Mike

“Magic Mike” closes on such odd conflicting tones, having successfully conveyed the hardships, dangers, and other anxiety-inducing elements that come with making money in the club scene to the point that I can’t imagine audiences seeking titillation were hootin’ and hollerin’ come the third act, but also never fully committing to this stance in a way Soderbergh’s name on the byline would suggest. Points for avoiding exploitive drama, I suppose, but it felt like money was left on the table. That said, there’s plenty of great filmmaking going on here from all involved. A compelling dramady with room for improvement.

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