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| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
One
of the biggest complaints about sequels is they tend to be a repeat of the
original film, only bigger and more expensive. Say what you will about Magic
Mike XXL, but it doesn’t fall into that category.
The
original, which cemented Channing Tatum’s superstar status and helped
revitalize Matthew McConaughey’s career, was a character study set in the world
of male strippers. Director Steven Soderbergh certainly threw in plenty of
titillation for viewers, but he was also interested in exploring the darker elements
of the profession. He wasn’t afraid to put likable characters through the
wringer or reveal that an actor we admire is actually playing a villain.
This
time around, because the first installment’s antagonists (played by McConaughey
and Alex Pettyfer) are absent from the story, the tone is considerably lighter.
In fact, I’d classify Magic Mike XXL as a straight-up comedy. It’s an
enjoyable mixture of “road movie,” “one last job” and “let’s put on a show”
tropes that highlights the ensemble cast and allows them to demonstrate their
infectious camaraderie while interacting with a bunch of new characters.
As
such, the original might be a “better” movie, but this one’s a lot more fun. Soderbergh
hands over directing duties to his longtime collaborator Gregory Jacobs, but he
remains onboard as executive producer and cinematographer (under his usual
pseudonym, Peter Andrews). Plus, Reid Carolin once again tackles the
screenplay, so most of the creative team remains intact. This allows the two
installments to seem genuinely connected, as opposed to all those terrible Die
Hard sequels that don’t look or feel anything like their predecessor.
Magic
Mike XXL picks up three years after Mike Lane (Tatum) gave up his lucrative
night job to focus on his custom furniture business. It’s going pretty well,
but the work is nowhere near as exciting – as you might imagine. That’s why
he’s intrigued when his old buddies let him know they’re coming through town and
want to talk to him.
Turns
out the former Kings of Tampa – including Richie (Joe Manganiello), Tarzan
(Kevin Nash), Ken (Matt Bomer), Tito (Adam Rodriguez) and hype man Tobias
(Gabriel Iglesias) – are about to call it quits, but they want to go out with a
bang. They plan on doing one final performance at a male stripper exhibition in
Myrtle Beach, and it doesn’t take much cajoling to get Mike to come along.
Along
the way, the crew meets a gorgeous fellow traveler (Amber Heard) who catches
Mike’s eye, a lonely housewife (Andie MacDowell) who has her sights on Richie,
and a couple of new dancers (Donald Glover and Stephen “Twitch” Boss) who are
interested in tagging along. But, most important of all, they reconnect with
Mike’s former boss/old flame (Jada Pinkett Smith) who would make a great emcee
if they can just convince her.
Everything
culminates in a series of dance numbers that are legitimately jaw-dropping,
whether or not you’re interested in the flesh on display. I was simply
astounded at the phenomenal choreography and the insane amount of physical
prowess it took to pull it off. And if you’re a fan of ’90s slow jams, you’ll
love the soundtrack.
If
we’re judging simply from audience response in the screening I attended, Magic
Mike XXL is a crowd-pleaser that’s going to make a ton of money. The sheer
amount of gasps, cheers, screams and laughter was crazy; if you’re planning to
see it, make sure you’re in the biggest crowd possible.
Tatum
is obviously the main attraction, especially considering his acting and comic
timing has continued to improve since the first one, but Jacobs and Carolin
make sure each character gets their moments to shine. Manganiello, in
particular, turns out to be one of the movie’s secret weapons.
His
character’s attempt to make a convenience store clerk smile is somehow filthy
and adorable at the same time, while also marking the best cinematic use of a
Backstreet Boys song since This Is the End. In addition, his reaction to a
rival team’s routine is one of the movie’s funniest (and, in hindsight, most
obvious) jokes. If you’re familiar with the actor’s other roles, you’ll
definitely know it when you see it.
Smith
also took me by surprise. I haven’t generally been a fan of her recent work,
but her sultry and confident performance here is easily among the best of her
career. Although the movie sorely misses McConaughey (don’t worry – the movie’s
explanation for why he’s gone makes perfect sense), it’s almost worth it to see
how Pinkett does something completely different and with a similar role.
What
I love most about Magic Mike XXL is the immense respect it has for its female
characters. The men dance for women’s happiness above all else; even when the
routines get raunchy, Jacobs makes sure to focus on how much the women are
enjoying themselves. Instead of being objectified, they’re treated like royalty
– as evidenced by Smith’s emcee character constantly referring to them as
queens. It’s a refreshing change of pace compared to the way most summer
blockbusters view women.
Let’s
be honest: you already know whether or not you’re seeing this. But those of you
dismissing it as a chick flick or “that stripper movie” are doing yourself a
huge disservice. I’m nowhere near the flick’s target demo, but I had an
absolute blast.
Magic
Mike XXL is rated R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity
and drug use.
Grade:
B+
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