Film review: Magic Mike’s Last Dance starring Channing Tatum
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- Published on Wednesday, 08 February 2023 12:37
- Last Updated on 08 February 2023
- Monica Costa
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Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes the third instalment of the blockbuster “Magic Mike” film franchise, the musical comedy Magic Mike’s Last Dance. The movie is stepping into cinemas on 10 February 2023.
The story
Magic” Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, 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 (Salma Hayek) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse… and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he – and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape – be able to pull it off?
The verdict
Watching Channing Tatum dance and strip is very pleasing on the eye and that’s what I expected from Magic Mike’s Last Dance. The movie has a glorious start in which Mike and Maxandra perform acrobatic moves with their bodies. Channing Tatum moves his hips erotically and slides on all the fancy house’s pillars. At some point, Salma Hayek blindfolds him and arches her back sensually. They simulate intimate sex fully clothed, which is very erotic, and dance in a sensual way around the apartment. The scene with no nudity is sultry and titillating. Channing and Salma’s on-screen chemistry immediately pulled me in and I thought this was a sign of what was to come.
But unfortunately, after that fabulous scene, the plot becomes weak and bland. I kept hoping for some exciting dances but those were sporadic and never the focus of the film. The talents wasted precious screen time arguing about the choreography rather than performing.
While rehearsing with the dancers, Tatum tells them to prepare for “a zombie apocalypse of repressed desire” from the audience. In that precise moment, I jumped from my seat hoping for a glorious ’dance’, but I had to wait until the very end for that apocalypse.
Nevertheless, Channing Tatum is very charismatic. I really wanted to see him and the other hunky guys take their clothes off in acrobatically choreographed routines like in the first Magic Mike movie. The first instalment came out 10 years ago.
Image credit: Warner Bros
Maybe I was expecting a cinematic version of the exhilarating Magic Mike Live stage show – which I recently saw in London – but with Channing Tatum as the lead stripper.
The movie is not as daring as the live shows and in Magic Mike’s Last Dance the dancers keep their pants on, they don’t even wear thongs. They swapped the peep show with a breakdancing performance.
When Channing Tatum is dancing, the film is excellent. Shame that this does not happen very often.
My recommendation is to go and watch this movie. I have the feeling it is going to be indeed the last chance to see Channing Tatum perform as a stripper in this franchise.
On a positive note, Magic Mike’s Last Dance has whetted my appetite for the Magic Mike Live Show.
The trailer
The featurette
London Mums’ rating 6/10
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
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