‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ – Review
The best things come in threes and director Steven Soderbergh and Hollywood A-lister Channing Tatum return to bring sexy back for the third and final chapter of the Magic Mike saga in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. And this is one film that brings it all and then some.
Mike (Channing Tatum) takes to the stage again, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse.
Brace yourself for the fire because Channing Tatum is bringing sexy back as ‘Magic’ Mike Lane one last time in one of 2023’s funniest cinematic releases with Magic Mike’s Last Dance. And he’s ready to go out on top with this one. Re-teaming with visionary filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, the two collaborators get to work on bringing flair and passion back to the big screen as Magic Mike has one last chance to make his dreams come true. And it will take everything of him as an artist, dancer and stripper to make it happen. Giving this film a more international scope, Soderbergh relocates the action from the heat of Maimi to the regal streets of London’s West End. And anything goes in this last chapter. Mixing together plenty of flesh with an intimate character study and love story, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is a film that swings for the fences and the entire creative team give it everything they’ve got.
Channing Tatum is once again front in centre as Mike Lane. But at the start of Magic Mike’s Last Dance it’s clear that the ‘Magic’ has been removed from his life and he needs something to spark it back up inside of him. That spark comes in the form of Salma Hayek’s Maxandra ‘Max’ Mendoza, a divorcee stuck in limbo, who is also seeking new passions in her life. And together the two of them fire it up. Within the narrative, Mike is seeking a bit of a do-over as the pandemic has shut down his dreams of a custom furniture business, and this time around, he throws himself on the line to deliver one hell of a show. Tatum again straddles the line between disarming charmer and sensual stud, and you can tell that he’s having a blast with this picture, and he delivers big on its energy.
Pairing off with Tatum this time around is the firey Salma Hayek as Max, a divorcee whose stuck in a rut and looking for something to inspire her passion once more. And she finds it with Mike. But while she whisks him away from Maimi to London to bring his talents to the stage, the lines between business and pleasure begin to blur. The role of Max gives Hayek a lot to play with in terms of character, and her conflicted emotions and habits lead to plenty of drama on screen. While she’s undoubtedly MILFy in the role and is definitely in charge of her sexuality and in reach of her own sensuality, notions of love and connection are complex subjects and this makes the drama that much more interesting. Hayek shares an excellent level of chemistry with Tatum and this makes the film that much more exciting and energetic, with her taking control of every single scene she’s in.
For those seeking flair, Magic Mike’s Last Dance delivers it, and both Soderberg and Tatum decide that it’s time to go big with the final act. Enlisting a troop of new talent, who all have serious moves, the heat is turned up for the final act, and there’s plenty of flesh on display for a very sizzling time. While I don’t want to spoil the tease too much I will say that the film’s opening number is an erotically charged moment shared between Mike and Max. And Tatum brings the grind. But it’s the third act’s epic 30-minute bombardment of testosterone-soaked dance goodness courtesy of Mike and the lads where this film delivers a bang. Culminating in the scintillating and sexy performance between Mike and ‘The Ballerina’, and set amidst a stream of overflowing water, this is a primal and passionate endnote of raw choreographed sensual expression and sexual energy, and damn does it get your heart working.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance embraces the spirit and energy of the previous films and dials it all up for the third film. There’s a great bit of comedy, along with a very fun surprise for fans of the original films. Ultimately Soderbergh and Tatum bring the film back to a real story of romantic drama and the need for connection. Both Mike and Max are two lonely individuals who are in need of connection, and while there’s plenty of fire and passion, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is at its core a sweet love story of two people finding real love together and this is what will make audiences truly smile.
As a cinematic experience, Magic Mike’s Last Dance is a fun, energetic, and firey piece of film and Mike gives it his all and goes out with one hell of a bang in this final feature. It’s a guaranteed great time out at the movies and your heart will be racing by the closing credits.
Image: Warner Brothers Pictures
