MovieChat Forums > Magic Mike (2012) Discussion > I normally don't do this but...

I normally don't do this but...

posted 12 years ago by Guavo
48 replies | jump to latest

I was completely blinded by how awful this movie is.

My friends have been telling me to watch it because it is so awesome and then I saw that it was on HBO and had four stars. So naturally, I'm thinking this movie will be pretty awesome if it got four stars. And the movie turns out to be horrible.

The beginning was terribly boring. I could barely watch it. And then this horrible actress pops up on the screen and I can't get over how terrible she is. The camera continuously focuses on nothing but her face and she just has this wooden grimace that won't go away. Her laugh sound so fake, it's painful. I never thought I would see an actress with less emotional depth then Kristen Stewart but this girl takes the cake.

And the plot was just...ugh. Mike wants to make furniture and quit stripping. He quits stripping but we don't even get to see if he makes furniture! We just find out that he gets with the wooden girl at the end! And the kid gets hooked on drugs and stays hooked on drugs and then takes Mike's spot even though he can't dance.

What is the point? I can't even fathom how this movie got a 6.1 on this site. I assume because of rabid horny women who loved watching grown men hump the stage. Yes, Channing Tatum and some of the cast are attractive but that doesn't make it a good movie. I gave it a three just because I like Channing Tatum and I wanted to he nice.

[–] sm-meehan 11 years ago

The beginning was terribly boring. I could barely watch it. And then this horrible actress pops up on the screen and I can't get over how terrible she is. The camera continuously focuses on nothing but her face and she just has this wooden grimace that won't go away. Her laugh sound so fake, it's painful. I never thought I would see an actress with less emotional depth then Kristen Stewart but this girl takes the cake.

I liked her in this, and I realize I am in the minority. Where are all these people in the world with emotional depth. If a movie is truly portraying real life, then there will be emotionless characters. She was playing an uptight character who was afraid to open herself up- very guarded and conservative. This made a great contrast to Mike who was reckless, or at least moving rapidly in that direction. I thought she portrayed her character well while still having charisma. Plus she looked nice in a bikini.

[–] Guavo 11 years ago

I understand a character who doesn't have emotional depth but this girl had no emotion at all. Even her laughter sounded false and fake. In the new Don Jon movie, Brie Larson's character had no emotional depth but she was good at it. Not having emotional depth and not knowing how to act are two totally different things and this girl cannot act.

[–] chas437 11 years ago

Gotta agree, and Olivia Munn can't act either, what a disappointment. Olivia was so hot/charismatic on AOTS, but the big screen is just not kind to her. Her topless scene is the most noteworthy thing in this dreary film.

McConanahy's (sp?-who cares?)performance is an exercise in vanity. Horrible acting in this!

"For dark is the suede that mows like a harvest"

[–] sm-meehan 11 years ago

I agree that her acting is not stellar, but I felt it worked well in this very particular type of role- it almost played into the guarded, uptight nature of her character. However, I realize i'm in the minority.

[–] ndirish5567 11 years ago

Male, age 33 - Have ever rated 13 films 10/10 on here and have a collection of 1,700 films. Big Kubrick fan. Obviously I do this because I wait to get flamed that I know nothing about movies.

I actually thought it was solid. Now, that's probably because my expectations coming into it were really, really low.

I think you're picking with the furniture bit at the beginning of the film. Yes, the "plot" - and I use that term loosely - is trite. The ending is just as bad in this area.

That said, it's far from boring, unwatchable or terrible.

For the record, of all the women that I know that have seen this movie, not many liked it. Not sure the "rabid, horny women" argument carries much weight. My wife watched it with me and was grossed out by the dancing. First time we watched it was with 8 women 27-36 in the room and not one was "turned on" by it. They were cracking up though.

So, the 6/10 rating is probably entertainment value. I wouldn't put it that high, but just see some arguments that are a bit strong.

[–] SilkeJ 10 years ago

6/10 is overrated.

Watched it with friends and not one of us was "turned on" or "got hot" or anything like that. In fact, in the end it was on as background noise.
More than one commented on Matthew McConaughey being basically half naked throughout and how really...no thanks. Put a shirt on.
I guess we prefer the real thing lol

Plot? There was a plot? I guess there was, but it was pretty limp.

The main actress, forgot her name, wasn't very good. Very wooden, and bland. But hey, I would think even the best actress wouldn't have been able to get much more with the kind of script she had.

So yeah, I was pretty bored inside of 10-15 mins. There was no real emotional connection to any of the characters, aside from mild distaste and loathing toward some of them.

I really don't get the hype.

[–] Melodrama731 11 years ago

OMG THANK YOU!!!!! I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE!!! I actually saw this movie in the theater and I was so frustrated!! It starts off boring like you said and the ending is terrible. This poor idiot loses everything he saved up to live a better life for the sake of some moron who has no limit and will just throw himself into any mess without being able to deal with the consequences and the comfort we get is that he at least finds love with the dead-inside sister?? She really is a godawful actress!!! I don't think I've ever seen worse!!!!

[–] rowenad 11 years ago

Totally agree with everything you say Guavo

[–] conangirl 11 years ago

OP nailed the movie and it's flaws perfectly.

where the hell did the "your dumb".. post come from?

Regardless, i was so put off by the wooden face character that would have actually passed for Mike's sister - versus his love interest, i put the DVD back in the envelope. I was almost compelled to FED-EX it back to Netflix. yes, her acting was just that bad.

This is what happens when nepotism overrides depth, and character. And yes, when she was on the beach with Mike? That laugh was so forced - it almost turned into a cough.

Hell, they might as well had put Paris Hilton, or Kim Kardashian in the damn roles - only because MONEY TALKS, and the movie executives don't want to piss off their good old "rich people" connections.

Honestly, i think they might have grossed far more money if they hadn't sent that long-haired, young, Marlon Brando in the picture. (Cody Horn).. Maybe she made them an offer they couldn't refuse?

some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints..

[–] IbeatupDrew 11 years ago

I didn't get the hype. I didn't find the characters compelling or interesting, and the only times I felt interested were like maybe 1 dance scene. Acting was very wooden here.

[–] extreme_ash 11 years ago

Worse than Kristen Stewart? I laughed at first. But damn that is hard to accomplish...

Supernatural
Ruby: You want to save yourself? This is how you dumb, spineless dick!

[–] Guavo 11 years ago

Kristen Stewart is pretty terrible but she does manage to pull off some good performances but that may only be because she is playing a character close to her own personality. The girl in this movie was absolutely painful to watch. Her performance was cringe worthy.

[–] joyjoker 11 years ago

I just watched Magic Mike on Netflix and I couldn't agree more with you. The movie is horrible, showing people using drugs like it's something so cool and the plot is awful, basically a male version of Showgirls that I've never watched but I can have an idea how horrible it is as well.

[–] oilinblood 11 years ago

You want to watch Channing make furniture?
Sorry they found the conclusion...its called a character arch. They could have developed the arch more but...

Im sure someone can photoshop Channing in a gstring making wood furniture for you.

[–] Guavo 11 years ago

No, I didn't say that. I pointed out that the plot of him wanting to build furniture was poorly and randomly thrown in without much thought. And he never achieved his goal. The whole point of him stripping was to make money for his furniture business and that never happens.

He doesn't get better off in the end at all. He ends up jobless, broke, with a boring girlfriend.

[–] StKitten 10 years ago

I disagree with you for the most part. In general I liked this movie. I watched it at first for what it was: thinly veiled eye-candy. And initially it was Alex Pettyfer who made me want to see it, at the time I had barely any idea who Channing Tatum was...

I agree that it is a slow movie (and for the most part those bore me to tears) but there are some parts where they pick up the pace as well. I'm not a fan of Soderberg, nor am I very familiar with his other work so I can't really judge that aspect.
I agree that Cody Horn (the sister) was wooden and not at all likeable. (Your comparison of her to Kristen Stewart is rather fitting)
I can agree that Mike's side story of wanting to make furniture was a bit underexposed within the story. And though I can on one the hand understand why he liked the sister so much (from what we see she is the polar opposite of the women he normally hooks up with, i.e. uninterested in his stripping profession) on the other hand I did feel that most of that "romance" felt a bit forced, maybe from lack of chemistry between the actors, amongst other things? (I will happily admit that I think Channing is a rather fine actor, though quite limited in the types of roles he can play, when he hits that sweet spot - no pun intended - he shines.)

What I did like about this film is the "real" feel of the dialogue. How it was awkward at times and sounded almost unscripted. It was beautifully filmed (oddly too at times) but with a hint too much yellow filter over everything.

As for the stripping scenes: I thought they were comedic for the most part. I personally would not want to go to a male strip club because I just don't find the flamboyant nature of it very sexy.... As a straight female I'd rather watch a female stripper. But beyond that what blew me away was the amazing dancing talent that Channing possesses! I was more impressed than turned on, despite his sexiness.
(On a side note: it's fun to watch the stripping scenes and only focus on the other actors in the background. Bless them they tried but damn if they aren't that good at it xD)

You're covered in blood until you're covered in your own blood.