Whoever was behind the marketing for Magic Mike decided that they were not even going to mention the great, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, let alone promote him; they were going to hide the fact that the movie is actually really, really good. They were going to focus the ads on a shirtless, occasionally pants-less Channing Tatum and, in various stages of undress, his costars Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer and Matthew McConaughey, all looking like Men’s Fitness models.
As fun as it was to watch all of these gorgeous men show off how nicely they fit into thongs, the rest of the movie is even better than their abs. Tatum is fantastic. Magic Mike forces him to articulate almost every emotion, from flirtation to grief, and he is convincing at every turn. Tatum is already a star, but contrary to how Magic Mike was marketed, he may actually turn out to be serious one.
