Magic Mike XXL

There’s no real debate to be had Magic Mike XXL really is a much larger follow up to 2012’s Magic Mike but the film is really a mediocre story packed with spectacular dance sequences.  Magic Mike XXL follows on from the first film and has Mike (Channing Tatum) retired from his life as a stripper and working to keep a carpentry business afloat.  Things change for Mike when he is asked by former colleagues to go with them one last road trip to a Myrtle Beach dancing convention.  Because Mike cares for and respects his friends he agrees to go on the journey with them.

The main problem Magic Mike XXL has is that while all of the characters are fascinating to watch and fun, unlike the original I really don’t feel any of these characters really between the first film and the sequel this year.  Mike always said that he wanted his own furniture company so to see him achieve that is immensely gratifying.  The only other character that really grew throughout the film’s runtime is Richie (Joe Manganiello).  In fact, Richie gets an opportunity to shine with a hilariously choreographed gas station dance.  The goal in that particular scene which sees Richie trying to regain his lost mojo is to make a straight laced female gas station attendant smile using his dance moves and charm.  What follows in those minutes is one of the most hilarious things I have seen so far this year and it is a shining moment for Joe Manganiello.

The new characters added to the cast all perform strongly but some feel misplaced as if their roles should have been reduced or magnified in different ways.  The strongest additions to the cast are Michael Strayhan and Donald Glover.  Strayhan has always been athletic having been a professional football player for many years.  The surprise is that Strayhan not only proves to be flexible physically but also hilarious in the few lines he gets.  Donald Glover proves to be adept at singing and dancing.  He is essentially a crooner with style.  His character is the one that with the few moments he had on screen he completely drew me in with his performance and allowed me to feel like a voyeur into the world of exotic dancing.

The weakest moments of the film involve Jada Pinkett Smith as Rome.  While she has the ability to be Master of Ceremonies, she is ill suited to lead the Kings of Tampa on the quest for glory at the convention.  The positive of her character being so weak is that she doesn’t say much and really highlights the actors and their tightly choreographed dance routines.  Even though the story is weak the important thing about Magic Mike XXL is that the film is fun.  The directing duties while not handled by Steven Soderbergh are capably executed by Gregory Jacobs.  There’s nothing flashy with the camera movements and edits really do feel natural when they occur.

I concede that I am not the demographic this film is aimed to cater to but for that reason I feel obligated to say that’s part of why I enjoyed it.  Seeing this film opening night with a theater packed full of women (and their boyfriends) was an immensely hilarious experience because of how much fun the audience was having watching these characters do what they do best, entertain.  I feel like if a third sequel in the series is produced Channing Tatum should take himself and the Kings of Tampa internationally just so audiences can say they have witnessed how that form of dancing is done in other cultures and races.  What I saw of this sequel however I did enjoy and would recommend it to those of you who just want to have a fun carefree night at the movies.