Magic Mike's Last Dance
Magic Mike's Last Dance
Starring Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ayub Khan Din, Jemelia George
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ayub Khan Din, Jemelia George
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
The art of dance has always impressed me, mostly because it's something I could never do myself (seriously, I look like I'm having a seizure when I try). The talent, the dedication, the practice, the precision, and the pure...magic...of it all is mesmerizing, and no matter what style it's always something riveting. Dancing tells stories in ways other mediums can't, and they also connect us to our shared heritage while also introducing different styles from countries that we've never heard of. Dancing - like music - is the international language. It knows no barriers, no limits, no race, no gender - it just is. Thus is the magic in "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the third (and hopefully) final outing of Channing Tatum's somewhat-biopic-story of his stripper character with the heart of gold make it big overseas.
After losing his business due to the pandemic, Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) works as a bartender to make ends meet, and he bartends an event in Miami hosted by Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault), who takes a shining to Mike and knows that his life isn't about bartending, and she asks him to show her what his true passion is - dancing. The two become enamored with one another, and she takes him to London so he can choreograph a show featuring male dancers at the esteemed Rattigan Theatre, and for Mike it's a way to showcase his talent behind the scenes, even though you can tell he's got the itch still to strut his stuff on the stage. Problems arise when Maxandra's jealous husband, but she's determined that the show must go on no matter what.
While the other "Magic Mike" films seemed to have a flowing narrative, this one seems discombobulated and disjointed, with snippets of stereotypical moments kind of cut-and-pasted together to tell the story. On one hand we got the typical former dancer who swears off dancing, but you know he's going to do it one more time (it's the trope of the master criminal who comes out of retirement for "one last score"). Then there's the lovelorn wealthy wife who is stuck in a loveless marriage and who wants to express herself on stage to tell her story and let women know that they can have anything they want - as long as it involves half-naked gyrating chiseled men. Then there's the jealous husband who wants to stop the show by any means necessary, most notably...*GASP*...violating historic district architecture codes! Then there's the love story between the ex-stripper and lovelorn wife, who both claim to not care for one another, but obviously the fire is there. Then there's the actual dance numbers that are the saving grace of the film, showcasing different styles together that's done way better than the patchwork framing of the film beforehand. It all sounds exhausting, but it's all so bland that it kind of wastes space until the final show-stopping numbers.
Channing Tatum has this natural charm about himself that's infectious, and he seems to have this "aw-shucks" attitude about everything involving Hollywood. He doesn't wear an heir of pretentiousness, but rather just seems to be enjoying the ride, be it playing the dog slave of Danny McBride in "This is the End" or playing the dog's slave in the heart-tugging 2022 film "Dog," he seems ready to tackle any role given to him. Obviously playing Mike Lane is his most personal character, since before making it big in Hollywood Tatum was an eighteen-year-old male stripper just trying to make ends meet, so being able to tell his story (in a way) on the big screen adds a sentimental feel that wouldn't have been there if another actor had the role. Still, even with this third one, it seems like Tatum is done with it - he doesn't really have any excitement that bleeds on the screen, but looks like he's following the numbers on the floor to copy his old moves (but he still has them).
Salma Hayek Pinault is one of the most stunning, beautiful women in Hollywood, but not even her natural beauty could heat up the screen (neither could Tatum's to be honest), and surprisingly their passion is as red hot as an igloo at the North Pole. It's almost impossible to believe these two have any chemistry whatsoever, even though it seems that they try to make it work. It just doesn't, and since this is one of the main thrusts of the film, fails to land it's two-note signature.
While the other "Magic Mike" films featured famous actors as the roles of the other dancers including Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello, "Last Dance" instead introduces us to real-life dancers that no one outside the dancing world has ever heard of, but since their one true passion is dancing, they really set the stage on fire during the finale. Each dancer gets to showcase his own unique style - from breakdancing to ballet - and this is the true saving grace of the film. The choreography is on-point, the story they tell through their dancing is hypnotic, and it's a feel-good message that allows women to think they can have anything they want in life. Without it, "Last Dance" would've been a melodramatic misstep, letting the curtain fall on Magic Mike long after it should've ended.
The Score: C-
After losing his business due to the pandemic, Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) works as a bartender to make ends meet, and he bartends an event in Miami hosted by Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault), who takes a shining to Mike and knows that his life isn't about bartending, and she asks him to show her what his true passion is - dancing. The two become enamored with one another, and she takes him to London so he can choreograph a show featuring male dancers at the esteemed Rattigan Theatre, and for Mike it's a way to showcase his talent behind the scenes, even though you can tell he's got the itch still to strut his stuff on the stage. Problems arise when Maxandra's jealous husband, but she's determined that the show must go on no matter what.
While the other "Magic Mike" films seemed to have a flowing narrative, this one seems discombobulated and disjointed, with snippets of stereotypical moments kind of cut-and-pasted together to tell the story. On one hand we got the typical former dancer who swears off dancing, but you know he's going to do it one more time (it's the trope of the master criminal who comes out of retirement for "one last score"). Then there's the lovelorn wealthy wife who is stuck in a loveless marriage and who wants to express herself on stage to tell her story and let women know that they can have anything they want - as long as it involves half-naked gyrating chiseled men. Then there's the jealous husband who wants to stop the show by any means necessary, most notably...*GASP*...violating historic district architecture codes! Then there's the love story between the ex-stripper and lovelorn wife, who both claim to not care for one another, but obviously the fire is there. Then there's the actual dance numbers that are the saving grace of the film, showcasing different styles together that's done way better than the patchwork framing of the film beforehand. It all sounds exhausting, but it's all so bland that it kind of wastes space until the final show-stopping numbers.
Channing Tatum has this natural charm about himself that's infectious, and he seems to have this "aw-shucks" attitude about everything involving Hollywood. He doesn't wear an heir of pretentiousness, but rather just seems to be enjoying the ride, be it playing the dog slave of Danny McBride in "This is the End" or playing the dog's slave in the heart-tugging 2022 film "Dog," he seems ready to tackle any role given to him. Obviously playing Mike Lane is his most personal character, since before making it big in Hollywood Tatum was an eighteen-year-old male stripper just trying to make ends meet, so being able to tell his story (in a way) on the big screen adds a sentimental feel that wouldn't have been there if another actor had the role. Still, even with this third one, it seems like Tatum is done with it - he doesn't really have any excitement that bleeds on the screen, but looks like he's following the numbers on the floor to copy his old moves (but he still has them).
Salma Hayek Pinault is one of the most stunning, beautiful women in Hollywood, but not even her natural beauty could heat up the screen (neither could Tatum's to be honest), and surprisingly their passion is as red hot as an igloo at the North Pole. It's almost impossible to believe these two have any chemistry whatsoever, even though it seems that they try to make it work. It just doesn't, and since this is one of the main thrusts of the film, fails to land it's two-note signature.
While the other "Magic Mike" films featured famous actors as the roles of the other dancers including Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello, "Last Dance" instead introduces us to real-life dancers that no one outside the dancing world has ever heard of, but since their one true passion is dancing, they really set the stage on fire during the finale. Each dancer gets to showcase his own unique style - from breakdancing to ballet - and this is the true saving grace of the film. The choreography is on-point, the story they tell through their dancing is hypnotic, and it's a feel-good message that allows women to think they can have anything they want in life. Without it, "Last Dance" would've been a melodramatic misstep, letting the curtain fall on Magic Mike long after it should've ended.
The Score: C-
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