It’s that time of the year when all of your favorite rom-com’s come out in time for Valentine’s day. This year, Magic Mike makes a return for what is being dubbed his last dance. So the question is, does Magic Mike have the stamina to make it through this third (and possibly final) film of the Magic Mike series?
“Magic” Mike Lane (Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Hayek Pinault) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse…and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he—and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape—be able to pull it off?
Review
Mike Lane (Tatum) is back and he is bartending after yet another failed business venture. While working at a charity event, several ladies recognize him but are keen to keep the specifics of how shrouded from their now boyfriends and husbands (or are they). When Mike interacts with the wealthy socialite (played by Hayek Pinault) at the charity event, she is told about Mike’s past and asks for a favor. That favor takes Mike to London.
11 years after the first film, Mike gets the chance to be the one to build the show from the ground up. This was a unique point of view of Mike’s character from the other two films, but even with the cameo of the previous cast mates from the prior films, the writers failed to really do anything interesting with this angle beyond a 5 min music-fueled montage as they hired dancers from around the world.
The formula for the third film is pretty cookie cutter, split into 3 very clear acts, and ends not all that dissimilar to the other 2 films. Here, Hayek Pinault, plays his love interest for Mike and the story is more centered around her story than his. Mike for his part gets his last dance started off early in the film and finishes with a somewhat muted finale. During the middle act, the side characters were more interesting than anything Mike was doing. The butler and the daughter both had great moments with the main characters throughout. Will this relationship last or fail like the others? We may never know but they didn’t take the time to make it feel any more special than the past ones.
For the ladies, and gentlemen, looking for a shirts-off, water-filled, hunky men-dancing adventure of a film for the holiday, Magic Mike’s last dance comes up a little short in the creativity department but still provides more Magic Mike (even if a little watered down). Of course, you could always go back and watch the first film at home with your date and enjoy a much less expensive time at home, that may just be more enjoyable overall.
The film is in the theatres now.
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