Channing Tatum has always been honest about his career and acting skills, once saying in an interview for the Los Angeles Times: "I'm never going to be the best actor. I'm just not, but I will work harder than anyone out there."
He's been voted People magazine's sexiest man of the year, owns his own production company, Iron Horse Entertainment, as well as a successful burlesque-style New Orleans bar, Saints and Sinners...I've been and it's a winner...So in honor of Tatum's 33rd b-day and his other accomplishments...let us take a little look at some of his hits and misses so far...
Hit: 10 Years
This adorable indie flick about a group of high school friends who get together for their ten-year high school reunion is both entertaining and relatable. Just real people dealing with real issues. And Tatum, who costars here with his real-life wife Jenna Dewan Tatum, is both charming and impressive.
Miss: Haywire
Now this other Steven Soderbergh movie, about a black ops super soldier who is seeking payback after she is betrayed by the organization she works for, was not so successful...and was a wee bit boring. Tatum tries his best as the leading lady's (Gina Carano) ex-lover, but despite the awesome cast, which includes Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor and iconic '80s star Bill Paxton, this long-winded action thriller just wasn't interesting enough.
Hit: Magic Mike
So this one tends to keep coming up in my discussions lately, but I'll mention it one more time in honor of Tatum. This Steven Soderbergh film about a 30-year-old stripper, Mike, is loosely based on Tatum's earlier days as a stripper in Tampa, Florida. The movie's full of a variety of sexy guys, stripping, sex, drugs...all of the things expected in a nasty stripper environment. It was, surprisingly, a good watch and proved that Tatum could do not only funny but drama as well...plus he got to show off those impressive dancing skills of his.
Miss: GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra
In this sci-fi action flick based on the comic books and cartoon series, an elite military unit known as the GI Joe take on an evil organization led by a crazy arms dealer played by the British bad guy from Gone in Sixty Seconds. Where do I start? This movie is loud and shiny and at times poorly acted by everyone. I blame Tatum's starring in this on the fact that it was still early on in his career, when he was getting offered the typical Hollywood buff-guy roles (e.g., Fighting, Stop-Loss, The Son of No One).
Hit/Miss: The Eagle
This flick about a Roman soldier, Marcus Flavius Aquila (Tatum), trying to honor his father's memory by recovering his legion's golden emblem with the help of a slave guy, played by cutie Jamie Bell, is watchable...but is definitely no Gladiator. The action was a little too flashy and incomplete and the actors have acted better. It's a hit/miss, really...I myself couldn't finish this one, but my boyfriend loved it, so it could go either way.
Miss: The Vow
The Vow was the second of two sappy romantic comedies that Tatum did. I would have thought that after the forgettable Dear John, he would have learned to steer clear of these. In this one, Tatum plays a husband trying to win his wife's love back after she loses her memory in a car accident. Over the top, cheesy and clichéd, it's not completely horrible, but not exactly noteworthy either.
Hit: 21 Jump Street
Why not end on a high note with Tatum's best...the hilarious comedy 21 Jump Street. Based on the popular '80s show starring Johnny Depp, this flick about two underachieving cops, played by Tatum and Jonah Hill, who go undercover at a local high school in order to bust a synthetic-drug ring is better than the original show. And the chemistry between Tatum and Hill is what made this movie work. Tatum is nonstop hilarious, and the flick showed his range and improvement as an actor.
For a guy that once said, "I know I'm not the best actor...But I hope my characters are getting better," well, they are, Tatum; thank you and happy birthday!