Movies - TV
An Ode To Joe Manganiello's Gas Station Challenge In Magic Mike XXL
By MATTHEW BILODEAU
In "Magic Mike XXL," Joe Manganiello’s character, Big Dick Richie, goes through a spectacular transformation and steals the movie with one scene. Richie is a romantic who breaks free from his firefighter stage persona when he reluctantly waltzes into a mini-mart ready to put on a show for a frowny-faced woman employee.
When "I Want It That Way" from the Backstreet Boys comes on over the store radio, he turns up the heat by casually ripping open a bag of Cheetos to get her attention, before giving himself an Aquafina facial. The dance is freer than any other in the film, and by the end, the clerk gives the kind of pure smile that could light a thousand homes.
Manganiello plays up the physical comedy of having a mini-mart at his disposal, rather than a traditional stage, and at the same time, Richie proves to himself that he’s always had "it." He provides the clerk with an unforgettable experience, while the dance manages to be sexy without pushing boundaries.
By pushing outside his comfort zone, Richie gains the confidence he needs to do something he's always wanted to do: a wedding-themed routine. Who would have thought that Cheetos, water, and a shirt toss would result in a healthy and sexy masculine presence who thrives on the intimacy of women's desires?