What an odd conclusion to the ‘Magic Mike’ story this turned out to be. From the grounded first movie which introduced us to Mike (Channing Tatum) and his male stripper buddies, to the raucous road trip antics of the brilliant ‘Magic Mike XXL’, returning director Steven Soderbergh and scribe of all three films Reid Carolin have decided to end the trilogy with an extended advert for the already wildly popular real-life stage show, Magic Mike Live.
Sure, I get that in a certain way it fits in with the weirdly meta theme all of these films have had, drawn as they are from a fictionalised version of Channing Tatum’s pre-fame days. However, replacing the established characters who we grew to love over the previous two films with the real dancers from the London live show—who barely have a single line of dialogue between them—is a strange move, and it robs the film of the charm and joy that made the previous films so special.
The plot of ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ finds Mike in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, which has destroyed his furniture business. Having to pick up shifts doing bar work in Miami, he crosses paths with Max (Salma Hayek Pinault) who—after a spectacular scene where he dry-humps her into a state of pure ecstasy—whisks him away to London so she can piss off her billionaire ex-husband by putting on a strip show in his beloved West End theatre.
There’s a lot of talk about female desire and sex positivity in ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ and that’s one the biggest problems. The previous two films showed us female desire, and the female gaze, and showed us male stripping through a feminist lens. All this one does is talk about it, and then when it comes to the dancing, makes baffling choices to sideline the main characters at the most important moments.
There’s also a clunkiness to the pacing and structure, which is very un-like most Soderbergh films. We know he works fast, but this whole thing feels rushed. The narration, connecting the events of the film to the anthropological importance of dance, is truly awful. On the plus side, the chemistry between Tatum and Hayek sizzles, as do a couple of the extended dance sequences. Unfortunately, these positives are diluted by the rest of the dancing being so bland, and the fact that Tatum feels like a supporting character in his own movie.
The Blu-ray release comes with a short featurette ‘Magic Mike’s New Moves’ which takes a closer look at the choreography, and the way dance is used in the film to communicate a lot of the story and emotion. There’s also an extended version of the sequence where the dancers seduce the tweedy old wifey from the council.
Cast: Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek Pinault Director: Steven Soderbergh Writer: Reid Carolin ReleasedBy: Warner Bros UK Certificate: 15 Duration: 112 mins Release Date: 24th April 2023
