Magic Mike XXL Review

He Works Hard For The Money

A bit of bait and switch occurred for audiences who saw Magic Mike in 2012, as marketing promising two hours of strippers dancing and having a good time gave way to a Steven Soderbergh feature that contemplated responsibility and the price to pay for forgoing the harsh realities of the world. There was still plenty of shirtless dudes gyrating, but the layers found in the movies themes took it to the next level of quality. Surprisingly, the sequel, Magic Mike XXL, manages to be a satisfying follow-up even while toning down the more introspective elements.

From the get-go, the films lighter tone is sealed by the fact that the two characters (Dallas and The Kid, played by Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer in the original Magic Mike) most responsible for the majority of the darker plot points of the first movie are written out of the plot of Magic Mike XXL in no time flat. With those two out of the picture, the film can focus on Mike (Channing Tatum) returning to his Tampa Bay stripper comrades on their journey to a stripper convention at Myrtle Beach.

Like all road trip movies, antics ensue on their journey, and I'm pleased to report that while this installment in this epic saga ditches the darkness of its predecessor, it hasn't forgotten to develop the characters at the center of all the shirtless tomfoolery. Frankly, recent summer comedy Ted 2 should be taking countless lessons from how Magic Mike XXL is able to incorporate jokes that generate hearty responses, but also develop the members of this group of strippers. 

Just look at sequence depicting Joe Manganiello using various items at a convenience store (a bag of Cheetos, a bottle of water, etc.) in a sexual manner in order to cheer up a solemn clerk. It's funny to watch, especially since Manganiello is adept at physical comedy, but it also furthers his character arc of being insecure of performing new stripper routines. There's purpose and effectively executed humor to be found here and in several other scenes of Magic Mike XXL.

Now, that doesn't mean everything in the writing of this movie is perfect. Time spent at a club run by Jada Pinkett Smith feels like it could have been trimmed down, while Matt Bomers character lacks a clear character progression in the film. Luckily, the rest of the proceedings are kept in check by game performances by the cast (Channing Tatum, in a shocking twist, is quite charismatic in his turn here), and Gregory Jacobs has a knack for directing the various stripper routines in an inventive and energetic manner. Best of these routines is easily one involving two strippers and a mirror, an act that lives or dies on its visual presentation, and thankfully, Jacobs brings it to the screen with all of its intended impact intact.