Actor Spotlight: Channing Tatum
Tatum is back at the movies starring with a dog in "Dog." Yes, really.
There’s not many movie stars that have had the same journey as Channing Tatum. Far from a child star or a professionally trained actor, Tatum went from male stripper to model and commercial actor to Hollywood leading man in a very short amount of time. In 2006, he broke out with both She’s the Man and Step Up, before taking off into a career of action-comedies, Steven Soderbergh films, and the occasional romantic drama.
Surprisingly, Tatum has not been the lead in a live-action movie since 2017’s Logan Lucky. After almost five years, we are glad to have him back this weekend with Dog, where (you guessed it) he stars opposite a dog. Then, in late March he will be starring opposite Sandra Bullock in The Lost City. That’s true range right there. Check out these Channing Tatum movies and make sure you read Billy’s take on MoviePass 2.0 from yesterday.
Drew recommends…
21 Jump Street
With the exception of Magic Mike, is there a more perfect role for Channing Tatum than Jenko in 21 Jump Street? As an airhead former jock with a lovable sensitive side, Tatum can fit this persona like a glove. Back when the movie came out in 2012, however, this kind of comic turn wasn’t necessarily in his wheelhouse. He’d flashed some comedic chops before, but never in the lead role. Tatum was mostly known as a confident physical performer, since he was repeatedly cast as a fighter, soldier, or dancer. When paired with Jonah Hill in an action-comedy based on the 80s TV show, it turned out to be the right frequency for Tatum’s talents.
As undercover cops that infiltrate high schools, Jenko (Tatum) is thrilled to return to his glory days while Schmidt (Hill) dreads the prospect. However, Jenko discovers that his DGAF attitude isn’t considered cool anymore, which leads to plenty of opportunity for Tatum to humorously play his character’s confusion at why the rules of the game have changed since he was a teenager. Alongside Jonah Hill, the two form an excellent buddy cop duo. You laugh at the stark contrast in appearance and personality, but believe in their unlikely friendship and want them to succeed.
With a supporting cast of funny people that included Rob Riggle, Nick Offerman, Dave Franco, Ellie Kemper, and Ice Cube, 21 Jump Street cruised to a worldwide box office of over $200 million and a very good sequel a couple years later. And the Tatum-Hill dynamic is the main reason why. If their comedic chemistry wasn’t right, this reboot could’ve fallen right on its face. Instead, Channing Tatum got to show off his easygoing charm in a comedy that played right into his strengths. - Streaming on Netflix
Billy recommends…
This Is the End
After years of being told Channing Tatum is the next big movie star and it not really working I began to loathe the presence of him on screen. Not an action hero. Not a compelling love interest. Not seemingly all that talented. Until his career shifted drastically into a world I never thought he would fit. The world of comedy.
It all started in 2012 with breakout performances in Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street. The former shows he has the capability of leading a movie with a hint of comedic timing showing through. Then the breakout with 21 Jump Street where he is keeping up with Jonah Hill in a comedy!? Alright, alright… let’s pump the breaks a bit. I need some further convincing.
Then 2013 rolls around and a trailer for This Is the End comes out. No… not the Simon Pegg-Nick Frost comedy directed by Edgar Wright about an apocalypse. But another star-studded movie about an apocalypse with Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel, and Jonah Hill. All of these characters are playing heightened versions of their Hollywood personas. The hilarity that ensues is constant because of our main guys, but the show-stopping moments are from the cameos we get throughout. Michael Cera as a coked-out maniac and Emma Watson as a feisty survivalist are the most remembered. The often overlooked cameo is Channing Tatum as Danny McBride’s gimp.
Why did such a small role have me finally buy into Tatum? Because of the absolute commitment to a kind of humiliating (purposely so) part. Seeing an actor who used to seem “too cool” for a lot of his roles now completely understands each assignment. Sometimes that assignment is for you to shock the audience into a major laugh. Tatum is one of the few actors working today that can carry or enhance a studio comedy, a breed of comedy that is dying each passing year. Let’s hope The Lost City is another solid notch in his comedy belt. - Streaming on STARZ
From the DYLA Archive…
Links
The Oscars will have three hosts this year. It was announced this week that Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall will split hosting duties at the ceremony next month.
We got our first look at Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic, with a full trailer showing off Austin Butler’s portrayal of the icon and Tom Hanks with a heavy accent and prosthetics.