Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Steven Soderbergh, Warner Bros. Pictures.
It’s the last of a trilogy, the final tease, which has been described as a “beloved franchise”. The creative team behind the first film reunited to create the magic again and sees Channing Tatum (The Lost City, Dog) reprising his role as Mike Lane, and Steven Soderbergh returns to the helm with a script from Reid Carolin, who also wrote the first two films – Magic Mike (2012) and Magic Mike XXL (2015).
In actual fact, Tatum said he wanted to capture the atmosphere and energy of his past as a male stripper. With their tightly choreographed dance numbers, bonds of brotherhood, and chiseled stars, the Magic Mike movies are an exuberant celebration. After a lengthy hiatus, ‘Magic’ Mike takes to the stage again following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida.
For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault, Frida Kahlo, House of Gucci), who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse … not to mention an agenda all her own. To produce a stage play. Everything is on the line, but when Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he — and the new dancers he’ll have shape up — be able to pull it off?
Also starring are Ayub Khan Din (Ackley Bridge), newcomer Jemelia George, Juliette Motmed (We Are Lady Parts) and Vicki Pepperdine (Johnny English Strikes Again).
Magic Mike’s Last Dance honours working-class struggles, men’s artistic actions and gives credence to an industry with the world of male stripping being brazenly revealed.
The seedy encounters, wild nights and strong bonds of friendship that Tatum experienced offer a rich dramatic playground. The movie deftly handles the inherent drama and humour of these situations with respect and style.
- Magic Mike’s Last Dance is screening at Limelight Cinemas
