Men on film

Muscles, men, ass-less chaps.

Not much else describes why (mostly female) audiences probably enjoyed the highly anticipated “Magic Mike,” directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Channing Tatum as experienced stripper Mike.

Set in Tampa, Fla., Mike is a construction worker by day and stripper by night, with a custom-furniture business on the side. His goal is to save up enough $1 bills to open his own business and ditch the nightlife of partying and on-stage pelvic thrusts.

After Mike takes 19-year-old Adam (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing, Mike begins to realize stripping isn’t who he really “is” and begins to “find himself” with the help of Adam’s sister Brooke (Cody Horn). If it weren’t for Matthew McConaughey’s presence as the fanatical nightclub owner Dallas, the movie would be on the verge of repetitive rom-com.

“Magic Mike” is anything but ambitious with its storyline, but it doesn’t need to be. While Tatum tends to come across as a whimpering puppy at times, he generally doesn’t take himself too seriously. For example, take the scene in which he impersonates Marilyn Monroe in drag.

Despite a predictable turn of events, Soderbergh does a good job of totally reversing the male gaze in cinema. As long as you can watch it for what it really is — a reason to display ripped male bodies — “Magic Mike” will be enjoyable for viewers of both sexes. And that truly is magical.

By Jaclyn Lansberry