I was both surprised and happy to see 'Chocolate City' name drop 'Magic Mike' right off the bat. It was a smart move because you know it was the direct comparison viewers were gonna make. This tale aptly takes place in Atlanta and of course features the African American side to male strippers. It goes thru a formula plot, but with likable characters & delivers the visuals females will enjoy.
Michael (Robert Ri'chard) has a partial scholarship to college, minimum wage job, attends church and a family strapped for cash. A chance meeting with Princeton (Michael Jai White) lands him a job that of course turns out to be stripping. Michael in shape and a good dancer takes to the money as he plays a balancing act of secrecy from both his mom (Vivica A. Fox) and fellow student turned girlfriend Carmen (Imani Hakim).
Other notable cast members include Carmen Electra as the club DJ, singer Ginuwine & male model Tyson Beckford as fellow strippers. Writer/director Jean-Claude La Marre plays the local church pastor. It's really Ri'chard's likability and the screen presence of White that stood out for me in rehashed drama. You have to accept how quickly Michael's reluctance for this line of work goes away. Then the speed at which he becomes a star and lies to everyone around him.
The rest offers no surprises. Failing school grades. A concerned mother wondering where all the money (drugs?) is coming from. A barely developed feud with an a-hole stripper. A girlfriend who finds out the truth and the fallout. I'm obviously not the right demographic, but for a dtv flick about male strippers this could have been 10X worse.
