stephrenee-385-451528

Girrrllll… I seriously considered that being my entire review, because that accurately sums up my reaction to this beautiful example of cinematic genius. There may be a legal battle brewing between Channing Tatum and his former stripper buddies over the idea, but I do not care whose idea it was. All that matters is that this idea was executed. A strip club experience without the cover charge, expensive drinks, or some stranger's genitals being anywhere near your face? Yes, please! Believe it or not, the film has a plot and I feel obligated to share it. Mike (Tatum) is a jack of all trades and is trying to start his own small business. I guess he is too old to be paying his college tuition. Anyway, his credit is bad, but his body is hot, so naturally he strips with the Xquisite Male Dance Revue to rake in extra cash. While doing a roofing job, Mike meets Adam (Alex Pettyfer, whose characters are always easy to hate), a guy who can't seem to do anything right and later takes him out on the town. To return the favor, Adam helps to convince some sorority girls to attend that night's show at Xquisite and agrees to help out backstage. Of course, a situation arises that forces Adam to go onstage and though he cannot strip or dance at all, his performance is a huge hit and he joins the Revue.

Everyone has different goals and dreams in this film. Adam wants to live it up as much as possible, which upsets his sister Brooke (Cody Horn). Mike wants to leave the stage behind one day and settle down with a woman he can talk to, which definitely is not his promiscuous bed buddy Joanna (Olivia Munn). The club owner Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) wants to make it to the big time in Miami and say "All right, all right, all right" as frequently as possible. And the audience wants to see attractive men shake it like a salt shaker. I will not say how the characters fared, but the audience definitely gets their wish.

If you forgot that Channing Tatum got his start in the dance film Step Up, then MM (or should I say, mmm-mmm-mmm) will be a delightful reminder. He is way more agile and acrobatic than you would expect such a muscular man to be, and his dancing is sure to be as memorable as Christina Aguilera's singing was in Burlesque. The other strippers are very talented and entertaining, but are also great comic relief. This goes especially for "True Blood" star Joe Manganiello with his risqué stripper alias and McConaughey. Some may say that Dallas is just another example of McConaughey portraying himself in a movie, but I don't see the big problem with that. Here he is more tanned, more toned, more vain, and seemingly more stoned than his public persona, and I think that all of those traits were perfect for the drawling egomaniac of a character that is Dallas.

You may not believe me, but the strippers' bodies are not the only visually appealing aspects of this movie. Between Steven Soderbergh's artful direction and the unbelievable dance moves, several scenes play like an extended, gritty music video. I appreciated how a character's self-destruction appeared in slow motion with a backdrop of darkened neon colors, and that their self-destructive behavior was even addressed. Soderbergh and the rest of the crew could have easily made this movie an endless display of flesh, but they recognized that most of the cast can truly act. Magic Mike briefly touches on the fact that strippers not only provide an illusion for their customers, but are often living in one all of the time. And then it gets right back to the skimpy costumes and gyrating. Oh, what fun! Magic Mike is definitely not award-worthy, but it is the best kind of sensory overload from start to finish. Go with a bunch of friends, feel free to applaud throughout the film, and resist the urge to tip the ticket taker on your way out.

Article courtesy of The Rogers Revue

We've seen dramatic and extreme post-apocalyptic thrillers almost as many times as we've survived the Rapture, and it is hard to imagine that anyone can interpret the theme in a way that would make a movie more enjoyable. However, none of the previous films starred Steve Carrell or stayed completely in the pre-apocalyptic world. As it turns out, these two facts make a huge difference.

Dodge (Carrell) learns that nothing can be done to prevent the imminent destruction of the world while in the car with his wife, Linda (Nancy Carrell, formerly Nancy Walls and hilarious without saying a word). Linda then literally runs away, and so begins the story of Dodge's terrible misfortune. He is a modern-day adult version of Charlie Brown – likable, but not extraordinary in any sense except for his ability to attract sadness. Seeking then shows how everyone else is coping with the news, and Dodge doesn't seem very interested in surfing, sex, or suicide, so he just meanders through the madness sipping his cough syrup. He probably would have done that for the entire three weeks left of his life were it not for a his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley), a flighty girl trying to get a flight back to her family in England. The two escape a riot (and Penny's loser boyfriend, perfectly played by Adam Brody) and set out on an adventure so that Dodge can say goodbye to his high school sweetheart and Penny can get to England by way of Dodge's friend who owns a plane.

The commercials portray this film as more of a comedy, and it is delightfully funny in some spots, but this film is far more emotionally and intellectually stimulating than it is amusing. I remember thinking at the end of 2005's War of the Worlds, "I wish they had spent more time focusing on humanity." The human experience of facing the end of life is so complex and so unique to every individual, and Director Loren Scafaria succeeds in showing the despair, decadence, and delusions that people would definitely be wrapped up in were this to occur in real life.

Carrell is brilliant as usual with his effortless self-effacing humor. He seems to have worked on his deadpan skills as his funniest moments include reacting to crazy events with a blank stare or monotone comment. Knightley manages to be an effervescent and bubbly realist without being annoying, which makes Penny a completely plausible running buddy for Dodge, who can't take much more agitation. These two stars have a chemistry that allows Dodge to come out of his shell and live the last days of his life the way he wished he had lived all along. A few people live in less inspiring ways to awesome comedic effect. Elsa, Dodge's housekeeper, still diligently comes to clean his house and even instructs him to get more "Windows" while shaking a nearly empty bottle of glass cleaner. Warren (fellow Daily Show alum Rob Corddry) celebrates the end of responsibility by boozing it up and sharing his drinks freely, even with little kids. These scenes, however, are merely distractions from how Dodge and Penny learn more than they ever imagined about life and the world simply because it is all coming to an end. Despite the hokey-ness, I must admit that I got teary-eyed as the characters realized what matters most.

Focus Features does a great job of producing equally thought-provoking and heartstring-pulling films and Seeking is no exception. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and with any luck, you'll leave the theater thankful that you most likely have more than three weeks to make the most of your life.

Finally! We have a movie in 2012 that is worth every minute and every penny. If your kids (or you, for that matter) cannot stop singing "Circus! Afro!" then go ahead and see Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 3D. It is the most clever, fun, and exciting animated film to hit theaters in a long time.

When we see our favorite zoo escapees this time, they are on the run with their jungle friends in Europe. Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) desperately want to get back to Central Park. Standing in their way is Captain Chantel Dubois (Frances McDormand) as the most evil animal control officer in the world. They narrowly escape her clutches by jumping on a train with a traveling circus. Now their only hope for getting to New York is to buy the circus and whip them into good enough shape to earn a touring contract in America.

Director and screenwriter Eric Darnell does an excellent job of leading the crew with this third installment. The story incorporates new characters beautifully by adding a love interest for Alex (Gia, voiced by Jessica Chastain), a dopey friend for Marty (Stefano, voiced by Martin Short), and a fallen hero everyone can cheer for (Vitaly, a tiger voiced by Bryan Cranston). King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) also finds love in a big bear wearing a tutu named Sonya, and the results are as hilariously sweet as the love saga of Donkey and Dragon. Kids will be able to keep up with all of the new names and nationalities and may even find a new favorite character in the bunch.

What makes this movie truly magic is the skillful use of 3D technology. Every leap on the flying trapeze, flight out of a cannon, and grasp at an animal's tail by Captain Dubois jumps out of the screen and excites the senses. It is so refreshing to see a movie in 3D that actually takes full advantage of its capability. The clever script and silly animation also kept me laughing, but I could have done without all of the jabs at people of Russian, French, Canadian, and basically all non-American descent. What was initially funny drifted toward mean, and resulted in one joke that was totally inappropriate. These moments only accounted for about 5 of the nearly 90 minutes of running time, so do not let that deter you from enjoying this chaotic adventure.

Madagascar 3 is just like going to the circus, but with more laughter and less wondering about how the animals are treated backstage. If you still like to "move it, move it," then you need to see it see it!

Review courtesy of The Rogers Revue

You've seen the commercials and the trailers with the dazzling special effects, sinister stares, and frenzied fighting. Snow White and the Huntsman looks like a masterpiece from the outside, but looking carefully into the mirror on the wall reveals that there is more to this movie and it is not pretty. My scrutiny actually resulted in 7 reasons for you not to bother with this year's second twist on the classic fairy tale (see my review of Mirror Mirror). I'll spare you the synopsis.

1- The cinematography is visually arresting and even breathtaking, but often for no reason at all. Why do the mushrooms have eyes? It is quite Tim Burton-esque, but not in a fun way. Why is the Queen (a fierce Charlize Theron) taking a bath in stuff that resembles milk of magnesium? She does look just like a chess piece when she re-emerges from the goo ad that is kind of neat, but what was the purpose of the scene? Aside from the Dark Army soldiers that are made of what appears to be metal pieces manipulated by magnets, most elements seem to be in the film purely for show. Director Rupert Sanders focuses too much on making the visual effects the star without ensuring that the final product is cohesive. And honestly, I didn't see many special effects in this movie that weren't in the music videos for Madonna's "Power of Goodbye" and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."

2- The seven dwarfs bring a little joy to the proceedings, but not much. And except for the oldest one with his Yoda-like proverbs and advice, it was impossible to distinguish between them.

3- Lackluster does not even begin to describe the depths to which Kristen Stewart's performance sinks. She pulls a Beyoncé and manages to chip away at any credibility or quality present in majority of her scenes. From her constipated "Edward?" stare to her incessant bosom-heaving (there are literally 30-second stretches of time where all she does is breathe heavily), all the little quirks that have made her acting in the Twilight series seem like a colossal joke show up in Snow White. Her failures to capture the gravitas of Snow White's predicament range from infuriating to laugh-out-loud hilarious.

4- Of course, Bella…I mean, Kristen Stewart is not completely to blame for her terrible performance, which brings us to reason #4. The dialogue is choppy and cheesy and is even more problematic since the film is so sleek and modern. The writing should be above the typical pitfalls of fairy tale remakes and keep up with the art direction, but it falls flat and makes what should be a thrilling experience a boring mess.

5- It's not only what you say – it's how you say it. The accents are ridiculous. Are they in Scotland? Ireland? England? It depends on which actor is speaking.

6- Chris Hemsworth as The Huntsman was just Thor with an axe instead of a hammer. I am all for spending money to see either Hemsworth run around and be extraordinary and masculine, but there is no point in seeing Snow White when you can just watch Chris run around in less clothing in The Avengers. I was much more impressed by William (Sam Claflin), an archer who could make Katniss Everdeen nervous.

7- The ending is completely anti-climactic. Before I get complaints about spoilers, every person who has heard of Snow White knows that the Evil Queen does not triumph, and this film takes the same tack. After over an hour of mind-blowing effects and being convinced that no other evil stepmother is as insanely gifted in badassery than the Queen, Snow White overcomes her with a disappointing and almost silent victory. The Dark Army returns briefly to keep the supporting cast from joining in on the final fight, but their reappearance seemed desperate somehow. It was as if the art directors jumped in and shouted, "Hey! We're still doing cool things!" Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. I sincerely hope that after this debacle, Hollywood will leave this fairy tale in the Disney vault for a while.

Review courtesy of The Rogers Revue