The ladies are going to love “Magic Mike” – so says Variety. Below is a round-up of trade reviews of Steven Soderbergh’s stripper movie.

As is well-known by now, Tatum’s pre-Hollywood experience as a male stripper inspired the film and The Hollywood Reporter says it’s “not only one of his better roles, but also arguably the raunchiest, funniest and most enjoyably nonjudgmental American movie about selling sex since ‘Boogie Nights’.”

THR has praise for director Steven Soderbergh saying he “taps into the jazzy erotic energy that put him on the map more than 20 years ago with ‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’.”

Of the dancing, THR says: “Choreographed by Alison Faulk, both the solo routines and the group numbers are a blast, embracing every cheesy male stripper stereotype from soldiers, sailors and cops to cowboys and firemen. These guys are like a heterosexual rethink of The Village People.”

Here’s Variety: “More low-calorie fun than any Steven Soderbergh movie since ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ this breezy offering ought to be subtitled ‘How Steven Got His Groove Back,’ as its typically high-minded director drops pretentions like tear-away pants.”

In addition to the role’s physical demands, Tatum, says Variety, “has the added challenge of making it look effortless,” and his “gift comes in playing things casual, inhabiting the character without having to spell out an elaborate backstory. Of the other strippers, McConaughey steals the spotlight, adding yet another strong characterization to a respect-building streak that began with ‘The Lincoln Lawyer”‘last year.”

Tatum, says The Playlist “dances like he is trying to earn the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Pelvic Thrusting.”

PL: “It would seem that Soderbergh and Tatum are an odd couple, but Soderbergh has achieved a rare director/star symbiotic relationship with Tatum in this film—one where the director is able to fully distill the essence of his star and showcase his natural aura and charm in the very best light.”

“As for Mr. McConaughey… seasoned pro and emcee Dallas is the role he was born to play. That’s all there is to it.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/magic-mike-review-341305

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947812/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/laff-12-review-entertaining-romp-magic-mike-will-put-its-spell-on-you-and-shake-it-like-nobodys-business-20120614