In 2012 Magic Mike became one of the most successful films for women, about men.
Millions of women rushed to cinemas guiltless to watch Channing Tatum and company as they gyrated and thrusted their way into the fantasies of women the world over. It was first a movie made purely for women's enjoyment. And it was a smash hit.
Fast forward a few years and Mike (Channing Tatum) is making honest money as a furniture designer. Newly single, heart-broken and alone, he sinks his time into his business. Yet thoughts of dance are never far away. When he gets a surprise call from his old buddies on their way to the stripper convention, it does not take much to convince him to leave it all behind for one last trip down memory lane.
This time though, the group founder and choreographer Dallas is nowhere in sight having taken the show over to Macau and left the boys leaderless. In steps Mike to design some new routines and set the stage on fire one last time. It’s up to Tarzan, Big Dick Ritchie, and Tito to make this the final and best show ever.Travelling in a frozen yogurt van to Florida the boys encounter some amusing adventures along the way, including the addition of a new member Malik (Steven 'Twitch' Boss). A love interest in the form of Zoe (Amber Heard) also crops up but this is more of a side note that never really develops.
Opposed to the original, this film sees a lot more story line and comedy than the first and it is quite tongue-in-cheek. A scene involving Big Dick Ritchie (Joe Manganiello) in a service station dance routine is both memorable and hilarious.
For the most part it is a little clunky in the story, but that is not what viewers are here to see and it can be overlooked. The characters are more developed this time around, fleshing things out. There is still a fair amount of dancing, just not as much as the original movie – a little bit of a let down for dance fans.In dance scenes that do appear Tatum is visually spectacular to watch, his form and technique as a dancer is flawless. With the addition of Twitch, the routines are taken to a new level and in the final scene there is a mirror dance between Boss and Tatum that is a particularity jaw-dropping. In an industry that is geared towards men, 'Magic Mike' is a phenomenon that is for women to enjoy and there is nothing wrong with that. We all need a little escapism from time to time and 'Magic Mike XXL' is just right for that.
– written by Amanda Starkey
