Picking up several years after the events of the first film, which saw Mike leave the stripper game to pursue his true passion as a furniture designer, Gregory Jacobs Magic Mike XXL finds the remaining members of the Kings of Tampa also coming to the realization that it's about time they throw in the proverbial towel. Setting off on one last adventure, which includes them performing an epic final performance in Myrtle Beach, the guys hit the road, convincing Magic Mike to accompany them on one last adventure under the spotlight. While Gregory Jacobs' follow-up film may not feature the same subtlety, intelligence or darkness of its predecessor, Magic Mike XXL is a much more entertaining film than its predecessor, being a exuberant,boisterous film that feels far more comfortable being a celebration of feminine sexual desire that proudly encapsulates the 'entertainment' which male entertainers provide. Focusing on a lot of the same aspects of the first film, Magic Mike XXL doesn't have much new to say, but this film's upbeat, positive energy is refreshing, compared to the previous film's brooding narcissism, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained from start to finish. While Magic Mike XXL is not nearly as interesting from a direction or cinematography perspective, the film's story structure serves the overall concept much better, being a road movie where the audience follows these boisterous characters on a series of wacky adventures. The characters as a whole just felt so much more likeable in this version of the film, with the intention of Magic Mike XXL being much more about entertaining its audience. Regardless of Soderberg's impressive direction, I wasn't nearly as big of a fan of the first film as many, as I found it to take itself far too seriously. Luckily with Magic Mike XXL the film never seems to take itself too seriously, perfectly comfortable spending time with these outlandish characters who take off their clothes and gyrate for a living. Magic Mike XXL is essentially a bigger, more outlandish version of the original, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I found the whole finale highly entertaining. The individual dances of our five characters are often times impressive, but also outlandish and hilarious, with Channing Tatum's finale dance number being so agressive that I'm pretty sure it qualifies as sexual assault in some states. Featuring a much more loose, boisterous tone than its predecessor, Gregory Jacobs' Magic Mike XXL may be somewhat slight by comparison, but it's hard not to enjoy this unny road trip film about a host of characters who in many cases are still trying to find their own semblance of happiness as they come to terms with the fact that it's time to retire the thong.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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