Tanning Tatum’s abs return for Magic Mike’s Last Dance
Magic Mike has been the most surprising global franchise of the past decade. What started as a gritty, semi-autobiographical journey through Channing Tatum’s early days as an exotic dancer has spawned sequels, a worldwide stage show, and a forthcoming TV series.
Now, hot off the success of 2022 hit The Lost City, Tatum is back for one last dance. He returns to Mike at a low ebb. Having lost his furniture business during the pandemic, he catches the eye of a mysterious millionaire Max (Salma Hayek Pinault) while working as a barman.
She comes to him with a proposition – she offers him a lot of money to fly to London to conceive and direct a sexy stage show for one night only at a theatre she has just acquired. Completely out of his depth, Mike battles the doubters and his attraction to his new employer to get the job done.
Although most people show up for the rippling abs, the Magic Mike films have actually varied in theme. The first had dramatic leanings, while Magic Mike XXL took the form of a road trip comedy. This film is more akin to Tatum’s breakthrough movie Step Up, with montages showing the characters getting ready for The Big Show while making doe eyes at each other.
Tonally, the story is all over the place, lunging from melodrama to romantic comedy before touching upon social commentary. It doesn’t do any of them particularly well, but the script is funny and the stars are charming enough to get you to the well-choreographed final act.
Hayek Pinault and Tatum’s chemistry is evident from the sexy opening moments, where the pair embark on a gymnastic lap dance that would feel silly if they weren’t so committed. They riff off of each other well, with the boss/employee power dynamic being the most interesting part of the movie.
It’s missing Mike’s original co-dancers, who only appear in a cameo, and the presence of Max’s daughter Zadie (Jemelia George) as the narrator is an odd choice for a film marketing itself as sexy.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance isn’t the best of the trilogy, but it’s entertaining enough for those who just want to see some torsos this Valentine’s weekend.