[6]

The latest film from Steven Soderbergh (Sex Lies and Videotape) is more of a bait and switch than I would have liked. Based loosely on the real life stripping exploits of star Channing Tatum, the film promises the fun and sizzle of a cheeky male revue. And while there are a good number of hot (and often hilarious) strip-show scenes, the narrative ultimately melts into a cloying, depressing cautionary tale, warning viewers against the very thing for which they came to the movie — their carnal desires. Oh, and drugs are bad. While I applaud the balls it took to make a male stripper movie, I wish Soderbergh and team could have had the balls to defy formula and steer clear of the blanket moralizing. (If I were blessed with a stripper’s body and chose this profession, I have no doubt I could do the job without falling victim to substance abuse or questioning my self worth. Give us a break, will you?)

Despite the lecture, the film still offers enough pelvic thrusting and chiseled torsos to fulfil the promises of its marketing campaign. Co-star Matthew McConaughey is a stand-out as the nightclub owner. Cody Horn is a breath of fresh air as Mike’s quasi-love interest (a young woman who is neither coy nor a slut? Yes! They still exist!) Second-billed Alex Pettyfer seems a little vacant at times, but the rest of the supporting cast do good jobs with their modicum of screen time. The 2015 sequel is a vastly better film.