Magic Mike’s Last Dance reviews are in, and they are decidedly mixed. Lead star Channing Tatum and Steven Soderberg, who directed the first film in the series, are both back for a third installment in the male stripper series which, as indicated by its title, should be the final film in the Magic Mike trilogy. With Salma Hayek joining the series, Magic Mike’s Last Dance follows Tatum’s titular stripper heading to London where he meets a wealthy socialite who offers him an opportunity for one last dance.
Now, ahead of its theatrical release on February 10, Magic Mike’s Last Dance reviews are starting to make their way into the world. So far, the reviews are decidedly mixed and trending negatively with a rating in the 40 percent range on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. While most reviews recognize the threequel’s pure entertainment factor due to its exciting dance sequences, they also criticize the movie’s muddled and aimless approach to its reverse Pretty Woman concept. Read what the critics are saying below:
Robbie Collon, The Telegraph
Last Dance might lack the original Magic Mike’s depth and grit and the sheer ab-rippling elation of XXL, but it’s still a fairly respectable package.
Alison Willmore, Vulture
Despite being half–“Let’s put on a show” movie and half–romantic comedy, two genres dedicated to delight, Magic Mike’s Last Dance never achieves satisfaction… No matter how winking, the intellectualizing drains the mojo.
Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
While Magic Mike’s Last Dance is certainly entertaining, thanks to returning director Steven Soderbergh, there’s no escaping how aimless the film feels in comparison to what came before.
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
By far the most ridiculous entry in the trilogy and is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in recent memory, unfortunately not in a so-bad-it’s-good kind of way.
Katie Rife, Polygon
Allowing both love and money to complicate the primal enjoyment of watching muscular men in sweatpants gyrate ends up diluting the film’s once-simple pleasures. Maybe you can’t have it all.
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
The whole film has a cobbled-together feel, almost as if Soderbergh only directed some key scenes and left the rest to someone else.
Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
An oddly inward and unhurried swan song that still shows flashes of the original’s pelvis-forward bedazzlement.
Jude Dry, IndieWire
The plot doesn’t need to do much, and it hangs together long enough to deliver a truly spectacular dance show. The motley crew of beloved B-list actors are missed, but in their place we get real bona fide dancers.
Peter Debruge, Variety
“A woman can have whatever she wants whenever she wants.” Unless of course that woman is watching Magic Mike’s Last Dance, in which case, she can only count on getting a fraction of what she wants, wrapped in platitudes about empowerment and consent.
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
The latest installment of the Magic Mike Cinematic Universe replaces its rollicking debauchery and subtle critique of capitalism with basic gender theory and vague eroticism.
How Last Dance’s Reviews Compare To The First Two Magic Mike Movies
The first Magic Mike movie, which was loosely based on Tatum’s own experiences as a stripper in Tampa, Florida, kicked off the trilogy to predominantly positive reviews in 2012. In addition to being an immense commercial success (grossing $167 million on a $7 million budget), Magic Mike was praised by critics for Soderberg’s slick direction and strong performances from Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, and Joe Manganiello. However, the sequels have largely been unable to recapture the magic of the original.
Released in 2015, Magic Mike XXL saw Soderberg replaced by Gregory Jacobs in the director’s chair. The beefed-up sequel was still a commercial success, though it received tepid reviews from critics and audiences for failing to evoke the pleasure that its predecessor did. This lukewarm response is what stalled the series for several years and almost caused Magic Mike’s Last Dance to be dumped onto HBO Max.
Based on the critical reaction to Magic Mike’s Last Dance, it appears that the threequel continues the downward trend for Tatum’s stripper series. With the movie bowing in theaters in just a few days, audiences will be able to see the film and form their own opinion. If nothing else, Magic Mike’s Last Dance should make some noise at the box office this Valentine’s Day weekend.
Source: Various (see links above)
