Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)
After stepping down to only the roles of cinematographer and editor for the previous middle installment of the trilogy, Steven Soderbergh returns to the role of director in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. With a rare promotion from HBO Max original to theatrical release, Magic Mike’s Last Dance continues the drama of Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) who has lost his happy ending due to struggles from the COVID-19 pandemic. His luck changes suddenly however as he meets a wealthy woman named Max (Salma Hayek) who is going through a divorce and decides to get back at her husband by letting Mike reinvent the show playing at his theater in London to go from a more traditional reserved look at female desire to a sexual revolution. As Mike struggles to put together the show, Max struggles with her emotions and a possible romance begins to bloom between the two.
A seeming personal course correction by Soderbergh, Magic Mike's Last Dance returns the franchise to an identity closer to the darker and more dramatic first film compared to the lighter outing that was Magic Mike XXL. Building an exploration of dance and love, Magic Mike's Last Dance finds mixed results with the best features of the film being when the movie is allowed to relax and spend quality time with its characters rather than being forced to experience human emotion through inauthentic means such as crafted bits of narration. It is strange to see a franchise so defined by camaraderie and interpersonal relationships to become almost completely void of concept with the feature making nearly no attempt to even replace the Kings of Tampa with the group being reduced to a single zoom call scene. In this sense, the ideals of Soderbergh feel frustrating with the direction of Gregory Jacobs being sorely missed.
This is only enhanced by the screenplay from Reid Carolin which struggles due to a lack of perspective and authenticity. Both on-screen and behind the camera, the lack of a female voice and agency is beyond questionable considering the entire film is based around the idea of uncovering true female desire. The film writes the character of Max to be one completely void of control or understanding of even her own emotions. She is a character lost due to her divorce and the only answer to her problems is Mike. As Max struggles to hold herself together, Mike alone creates a show that seemingly perfectly speaks to the true desires of women which entirely is based around sexual desire. Max is portrayed as chaotic with her even leaving the project due to what seems like a non-issue. Even the money she uses to hire Mike and put on the production belongs to her husband, not her. The film ends up reducing and simplifying women at nearly every turn in a way that could have been avoided had there been more female representation in the behind the scenes process of the film.
The plot itself also often plays as a Mad Libs of a film. From the initial setup of Mike being led to London with no idea what he is doing there to the outcome which sees a confusing blend of theater and stripping that fails to find a coherent thesis when it comes to the evolution of art, the film often feels random and confusing. While this would be fine for a film trying to be a simpler experience like Magic Mike XXL, Soderbergh's aspirations for purpose and poignance makes this direction feel like a miscalculation. If anything, shedding the Magic Mike identity from the film would allow for a cleaner connection without such a convoluted setup that ultimately doesn't feel that vital for the larger franchise it belongs to. While it is nice to see the next steps of Mike Lane, the film fails to answer any burning questions and the desire to see this character go through another dramatic outing simply was non-existent.
While the film might struggle with its plot and themes, the most undeniable success of the film would be its filmmaking. Only enhanced by having to find ways around the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, Soderbergh is performing at the top of his game and again shines with directorial ability. From the controlled shot composition to the flow of the dances, there is a tension and palpable weight to the film that builds to the epic grand climax that comes closer than one might expect to matching the climax of the previous film. Regardless of their dynamics and writing, both Tatum and Hayek are also brilliant with an instant connection between the two. Tatum especially shines once again with the film providing yet another example of just how talented the actor can be when given a performance of weight and substance.
Magic Mike's Last Dance might not be a disaster, but the film still is undoubtedly flawed. While the technical ability of the film and its filmmakers are clear, in both story and plot, the film finds an underbaked thesis that ends up with surprisingly sexist results. While the ambition of Soderbergh is typically a highlight of his work, his presence here feels like a mistake with the direction of Gregory Jacobs feeling far more in line with what the film ended up as.
A seeming personal course correction by Soderbergh, Magic Mike's Last Dance returns the franchise to an identity closer to the darker and more dramatic first film compared to the lighter outing that was Magic Mike XXL. Building an exploration of dance and love, Magic Mike's Last Dance finds mixed results with the best features of the film being when the movie is allowed to relax and spend quality time with its characters rather than being forced to experience human emotion through inauthentic means such as crafted bits of narration. It is strange to see a franchise so defined by camaraderie and interpersonal relationships to become almost completely void of concept with the feature making nearly no attempt to even replace the Kings of Tampa with the group being reduced to a single zoom call scene. In this sense, the ideals of Soderbergh feel frustrating with the direction of Gregory Jacobs being sorely missed.
This is only enhanced by the screenplay from Reid Carolin which struggles due to a lack of perspective and authenticity. Both on-screen and behind the camera, the lack of a female voice and agency is beyond questionable considering the entire film is based around the idea of uncovering true female desire. The film writes the character of Max to be one completely void of control or understanding of even her own emotions. She is a character lost due to her divorce and the only answer to her problems is Mike. As Max struggles to hold herself together, Mike alone creates a show that seemingly perfectly speaks to the true desires of women which entirely is based around sexual desire. Max is portrayed as chaotic with her even leaving the project due to what seems like a non-issue. Even the money she uses to hire Mike and put on the production belongs to her husband, not her. The film ends up reducing and simplifying women at nearly every turn in a way that could have been avoided had there been more female representation in the behind the scenes process of the film.
The plot itself also often plays as a Mad Libs of a film. From the initial setup of Mike being led to London with no idea what he is doing there to the outcome which sees a confusing blend of theater and stripping that fails to find a coherent thesis when it comes to the evolution of art, the film often feels random and confusing. While this would be fine for a film trying to be a simpler experience like Magic Mike XXL, Soderbergh's aspirations for purpose and poignance makes this direction feel like a miscalculation. If anything, shedding the Magic Mike identity from the film would allow for a cleaner connection without such a convoluted setup that ultimately doesn't feel that vital for the larger franchise it belongs to. While it is nice to see the next steps of Mike Lane, the film fails to answer any burning questions and the desire to see this character go through another dramatic outing simply was non-existent.
While the film might struggle with its plot and themes, the most undeniable success of the film would be its filmmaking. Only enhanced by having to find ways around the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, Soderbergh is performing at the top of his game and again shines with directorial ability. From the controlled shot composition to the flow of the dances, there is a tension and palpable weight to the film that builds to the epic grand climax that comes closer than one might expect to matching the climax of the previous film. Regardless of their dynamics and writing, both Tatum and Hayek are also brilliant with an instant connection between the two. Tatum especially shines once again with the film providing yet another example of just how talented the actor can be when given a performance of weight and substance.
Magic Mike's Last Dance might not be a disaster, but the film still is undoubtedly flawed. While the technical ability of the film and its filmmakers are clear, in both story and plot, the film finds an underbaked thesis that ends up with surprisingly sexist results. While the ambition of Soderbergh is typically a highlight of his work, his presence here feels like a mistake with the direction of Gregory Jacobs feeling far more in line with what the film ended up as.