It’s been three-years since Mike (Channing Tatum) left Tampa and pursued his dream of custom furniture. In that time away things haven’t gone exactly to plan and as fate would have it, Mike is reunited with his best friends. Ken (Matt Bomer) and Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello) have taken over and are still stripping with Tarzan (Kevin Nash) and Tito (Adam Rodriguez). Their next stop is the stripper convention in Myrtle beach, but the trip itself brings along new and old faces (Twitch, Donald Glover, & Jada Pinkett Smith) who will shape their journey.
Mike is relearning his moves.
Magic Mike XXL is exactly the type of outstanding film that can appeal to all audiences when we check our baggage at the door. There’s already a stigma about sex in movies and directors are very careful not to cross a line where things might get racey and realistic. If female nudity is in a film, no one complains. As soon as men start stripping and dancing it’s suddenly a huge issue because it’s guys doing that. However, the first film was universally praised by critics and audiences.
Channing Tatum is back in full form after running a recent Oscar campaign for the dark and brooding Foxcatcher. Now, Mike is almost a shell of his former self, barely clinging on to the life he has now. He isn’t the best with his words and communicating how he feels and Tatum nails this. Tatum’s bumbling Mike is often weird and oddly hilarious, making observations or stuttering over his words. When it comes to his dancing the choreography is unreal. Whether he’s clothed or not, he’s still flipping, gliding, and spinning all over the place and it’s impressive. He’s less a leader than he is someone who’s comfortable being wrong about things in his life, which leads him to reform the group and get them back on the grind.
The gang is all here.
With a hell of a supporting cast, our go-to show-stealer is Joe Manganiello. As Big Dick Richie, Manganiello channels more humor than ever before and he learns to broaden his horizons. He looks past what others want for him and decides to find more of himself. He also has the funniest scene in the movie where he rediscovers his mojo in a convenience store. Matt Bommer, the living Ken Doll, puzzles and amuses us with his zen ways and this time around he brings his voice to the table. He and Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) make the ladies swoon with their moves and their voices, culminating in a new stripping style for the world to behold. Kevin Nash is more on the sideline this time around, leaving Rodriguez to shine more in this film. Both have very honest and emotional moments in the film, while also having fun with their lavish lifestyles
Marking the greatest new addition to this film is Jada Pinkett Smith, who effectively and enjoyable reminds audiences why these guys are stripping in the first place. The idea that strippers can take you away from everything else in your life is on full display here, but in Smith’s world these woman should be exulted. She believes that the goddesses in attendance should be worshiped for all that they offer. This audience inclusion works fantastic in the film and adds to the enjoyment that all the actors get out of their raunchy performances. Everyone in the film and watching the film can agree that some of the dance moves are laughable, but that’s what helps make the film fun. It’s not meant to be taken seriously because this is a buddy movie which can be enjoyed by all.
Are you ready to be exulted?
I know that many have snickered when I told them that Magic Mike XXL is a fantastic movie. The idea of a male critic liking a movie about male strippers may seem laughable to those with some insecurities. People make assumptions based on the little information they know and that’s why so many people were shocked when Magic Mike turned out to be a funny and interesting drama. Sure, stripping happens in these films, but they’re a lot more than that. Complex and engaging friendships lead to a ton of memorable scenes and moments in this film. It’s a fun road-trip movie with hilarious characters, who also happen to perform absurdly well-choreographed dance moves on women. What’s so wrong with that?
Magic Mike XXL is going to do incredible at the box office and hopefully more men will catch on that they can have a great time watching it too. The music in this film is absolutely infectious and you’ll probably catch yourself singing the songs the first day, perhaps trying to dance the next. I simply can’t praise the cast enough, but I especially want to give due credit to director Gregory Jacobs, who had some big shoes to fill after Steven Soderbergh crushed it with the first film. This collaborative effort really is one of the best Summer films this year and it easily beats out most of what we’ve seen so far. Go feel the magic in theaters for yourselves.
