Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek have all of the chemistry in a satisfying sendoff that celebrates the artwork of dance. Knee pads by no means seemed so good.
The “Magic Mike” movies could also be finest recognized for serving the bodily thrills of hunky male strippers in a blockbuster comedy bundle, however Mike Lane is a lot greater than only a stripper. The character, originated by Channing Tatum and impressed by his early experiences in Tampa, Florida, has at all times been greater than the sum of his (very spectacular) elements. The third and last movie within the wildly profitable franchise, “Magic Mike’s Final Dance,” sees Steven Soderbergh returning to direct and Tatum returning to his dance roots. When Tatum glides throughout a water-filled dance ground in nothing however knee pads within the film’s pas de deux climax, it’s clear we’re not in Tampa anymore.
In truth, we’re in London. The film opens with a British-accented voiceover about “the impulse to bounce” and its “energy over our species,” as Mike (Tatum) surveys his huge ocean territory. “Like many 40-year-old millennial white males,” she explains, Mike had been hit exhausting by the pandemic and a looming recession. He’s again to catering fancy occasions for rich girls he as soon as stripped for, the place he impresses hostess Max (Salma Hayek Pinault), an impulsive lady decided to spend all of her ex-husband’s cash.
On a tip from a pal who acknowledged him, Max asks Mike to bounce for her. After a bit of convincing (and some huge cash), he’s checking the durability of the etagere in Max’s impeccably designed seaside home. Soderbergh and author Reid Carolin waste no time delivering the products; they know their viewers. The chemistry sizzles in probably the most epic non-public dance ever, which begins sensually and builds to an acrobatic frenzy that’s each hilarious and horny. The etagere actually turns out to be useful as Mike drops pull-up fashion down onto a ready Max, earlier than sweeping her off her toes and pinning her up in opposition to the glass doorways to her panoramic view. This time, nobody’s wanting on the ocean.
“Magic Mike’s Final Dance”
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Impressed by this life-changing expertise (She’ll later exclaim: “That one fucking dance modified the whole lot in me”), Max is satisfied Mike is a creative genius despatched to her for a purpose. She makes him a proposal he can’t refuse: Come to London for 3 months to mount a present on the historic theater owned by her ex-husband’s household. The plan is a bit unclear, to Mike and the viewers, however Max needs to fully revamp the long-running interval play “Isabel Ascendant,” which has regressive gender politics. The play’s predominant character should select between love and cash, a uncooked deal Max feels acutely. She thinks the brand new present will awaken girls’s repressed needs, exhibiting them they will have all of it.
Carolin’s script falls brief round this laughable excuse for a feminist aesthetic, through which wealthy girls are empowered by protecting their husbands’ cash. In opposition to this backdrop, the film’s obsession with males “getting permission” earlier than touching a girl rings much more hole, like a playground lesson in consent. The “Magic Mike” motion pictures have at all times emphasised consent, and whereas which may be a lesson many males want to listen to on probably the most infantile of phrases, its dopey execution feels patronizing to everybody else. One can hear the smug hum of a field being checked when one dance is launched: “The sexiest act of submission is asking for permission.”
However no one watches “Magic Mike” for the script, although the comedic vitality of the gang from the primary motion pictures is sorely missing (they seem as soon as by way of glitchy video name). The Max storyline feels each predictable and unhinged, nevertheless it’s enjoyable to see somebody of Hayek’s expertise nonetheless carrying a horny romantic lead (a rarity in Hollywood). The plot doesn’t have to do a lot, and it hangs collectively lengthy sufficient to ship a really spectacular dance present. The motley crew of beloved B-list actors are missed, however of their place we get actual bona fide dancers. It might be Mike’s final dance, nevertheless it’s the franchise’s first actual choreography, which features a well-placed flash mob and a really attractive finale that appears like one thing out of “Fuerza Bruta.”
Cheeky nature-movie voiceovers apart, “Magic Mike’s Final Dance” is an ode to the artwork of dance. Tatum, who’s been a producer on all three movies, clearly wished to flex his dance muscle mass, however he additionally appears genuinely in love with the artwork type. The film’s casting montage could really feel stilted and lengthy, nevertheless it’s straightforward to think about Tatum’s precise thrill at assembling one of the best dancers from around the globe. After they cease speaking and begin dancing, that’s when the true magic occurs.
Grade: B
Warner Bros. will launch “Magic Mike’s Final Dance” in theaters on Friday, February 10.
