Plot: What’s it about?
Erin Grant (Demi Moore) has just lost custody of her daughter, thanks to an inept judge and her shifty, worthless ex husband. In the judge’s eyes, since Erin lost her job and a woman is helpless to raise a child alone, Erin couldn’t be given custody. Of course, she was removed from her job because of her ex husband’s antics, but that wasn’t taken into account. She isn’t about to give up however, as she plans to mount a legal battle to secure her child once again. In order to raise up a lot of money in a rush, Erin begins to work as an exotic dancer. Her incredible body earns her a devoted clientele and she starts raking in the case, but things take an unusual turn when she attracts the attention of a corrupt politician (Burt Reynolds). As he pushes himself into her life, Erin finds herself involved in some criminal activities. As she tries to escape the grasp of the politician, continue to raise cash, and prove she can care for her daughter, will Erin be able to make it all work out?
This should be obvious, but Striptease exists for one reason and that is Demi Moore. She is beyond hot in this film and she isn’t shy about showing off the goods. The story manages to score some screen time here and there, but Demi getting naked is the main attraction. As fun as it is to watch her at her absolute peak, Striptease isn’t able to maintain interest once you’ve gotten an eyeful of Moore’s ample talents. Things take an upturn in entertainment once Burt Reynolds arrives, but even then the movie simply doesn’t have enough kick. The tone is just too serious at times, then switches gears to broad comedy and that just doesn’t work in a film as fluff driven as Striptease. A sharper, more consistent sense of humor could have worked wonders here, but instead we have a middling, overly cooked plot that just falls flat.
As I mentioned before, Demi Moore is at her best in Striptease. This is not her best performance by a mile, but she looks stunning and puts the other females on showcase to shame. I think it is obvious she made the movie in order to show off her prime body, but he also tries to make the most of a mediocre role. This results in some scenes being a little more effective than expected, but even she can’t salvage a wreck of this magnitude. Reynolds also does his best to inject some fun into the movie, with his over the top portrayal of a shady politician, but again, it isn’t enough. If the more pointless plot points were dropped, like the blackmail/murder angle, perhaps more humor could have been worked in. Striptease still warrants a look for those who appreciate Moore’s skills, but this is a curiosity piece more than anything. I always want to love a movie that focuses on the exotic dancing industry, but aside from some nice eye candy, Striptease has little to offer.
Video: How does it look?
Striptease is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. I wasn’t that impressed with the visuals here, as the improvements over are not that remarkable. The image has a slight upgrade in terms of detail, but still seems on the soft side. This is perhaps intended, to help mask imperfections in the constant naked skin, but in any event, softness is prevalent. The colors look solid, but don’t stand out, while contrast is stark and consistent. So unless you simply have to get that tiny enhancement in terms of detail, this really doesn’t offer much incentive to upgrade.
Audio: How does it sound?
Much like the visuals, this DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack just doesn’t manage to impress. All the basics are well covered, but there isn’t much life or depth to the experience. A strip club should pulse with music and activity, but the environment never comes off as such. A few scenes have some kick with the music, but not nearly enough. I will say that dialogue is clear and clean, which is always a positive. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
