Magic Mike: A Última Dança

Greetings, my fellow film enthusiasts. It's time to crack open a cold one and dive headfirst into the world of Magic Mike's Last Dance. Buckle up, folks, because we're in for a bumpy ride.

Let's start with the positives, shall we? The feminist edge to the story is a breath of fresh air. It's great to see female characters taking the lead in a traditionally male-dominated genre. The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek is undeniable, and they make for a compelling on-screen duo. The movie's opening scene is also quite the seduction, leaving viewers wanting more. It's a great way to hook in the audience.

However, this is where the praise ends. Unfortunately, Magic Mike's Last Dance is nothing but a cash grab that lacks purpose and direction. The film fails to capture the raw, seductive energy of its predecessor, leaving audiences underwhelmed. The characters are flat, and the plot is meandering, which makes it feel like the filmmakers didn't have a clear idea of where they were taking the story.

Furthermore, the movie's attempt at humor falls flat, with jokes that often feel forced or just plain cringe-worthy. It's like they were trying too hard to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the original Magic Mike, and it just didn't work. In the end, the film feels like a cheap imitation of its former self.

In conclusion, Magic Mike's Last Dance is a disappointing sequel that fails to live up to its predecessor. While the feminist edge and chemistry between the leads are commendable, the lack of direction, flat characters, and forced humor make it a forgettable film. Save your money and watch the original instead.

Oh my, this is an AWFUL movie. I love Salma Hayek but even she can't rescue this stinker! The "narration" is dreadful. The plot is ridiculous--even for this type of movie, and boring. The characters are very poorly developed. The dynamic tension between the leads is not believable. A few of the dance numbers were pretty good but it's a long movie to watch for a few minutes of dancing. It just CANNOT BE that this was directed by Steven Soderbergh. Didn't he notice how stupid and disjointed this was? It leaves a stink on everyone involved. This review needs another 30 characters but how many ways are there to say--don't waste your time on this stupid bad movie!

Safe to say this is the worst Magic Mike movie. It's boring more often than not and plays it way too safe. Women are more naked in a burlesque show than these men were. Why exactly is this rated R? Today's music videos are more R-rated than this. I would say the most entertaining scene was the lap dance Channing Tatum gives Salma Hayek but other than that most of the movie is just her whining about the show they're going to put on and when the show finally comes it's not nearly as exciting as it should be. I know plenty will say it but I'd rather this movie had been a Step Up movie and them just left Magic Mike at the sequel. Compared to the other two it was just an unfun ride. Also on a side note when she's going through the different types of men that "women want" a CEO that pays women more than men? I thought the goal was to be equal allegedly? And how about a man with a puppy! Men have dogs all the time how about a man that puts the seat down or does the dishes. Anyway unlike the other two I'll never see this one again.

The third & final chapter of the Magic Mike trilogy, Last Dance follows the titular stripper as he returns for one last gig after a wealthy socialite makes him an offer he couldn't refuse. Neither an exploration of the male stripping profession nor an unabashed celebration of female desire that its predecessors were, this final outing is all about letting Mike head out on his own terms.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Trilogy & Logan Lucky), the film marks his own return to the franchise after the first picture and once again finds him digging deeper than necessary to turn the premise into something more than it needs to be. XXL expertly cracked the code on what it should be about but the director has different plans and makes all the wrong decisions.

The story begins on an incredibly promising note with an erotic, steamy & passionate lap dance but instead of riding on that early momentum provided by that sequence, the interest is allowed to fizzle out as it adds plot threads that require work from scratch. The romance subplot proves to be ineffective and it isn't until the final showdown that the film truly regains its sexual energy.

Overall, Magic Mike's Last Dance had the potential to make the most of Mike's final outing but squanders the opportunity by going into places it didn't need to. The strongest scene happens during the opening moments and then it is a frustrating long wait before something interesting happens again. Arguably the weakest of the three despite Channing Tatum's excellent input & outstanding dance choreography.

It's been almost eight years since the release of the Magic Mike XXL, which, in my opinion, gave the story the closure it needed. I enjoyed the first two films, minus the cheesy stripper dancing, because they gave you a feel for the lives these men lead as opposed to solely focusing on the stripping aspect. It was surprisingly engrossing. With Magic Mike's Last Dance, it does almost the opposite by focusing solely on Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek's phony romantic plot device as an excuse for Magic Mike to put on one final show, setting the film into a complete fantasy.

Now, don't get me wrong. I usually love Salma Hayek, but her acting in this film was terrible. I did not believe her character for one second and some of the lines she delivers are just awkward to watch. I was not buying her and Channing Tatum's romance at all. It was almost painful at times. Everybody else does a serviceable job, but when you have leads that have zero chemistry with each other, it can be a deal breaker.

Unfortunately, because of the chosen focal point for the story, the dancing also suffers. We get a decent enough show at the end, but there is only one other dancing scene in the film. The other bits of dancing are just that. Bits because they show them training to put together the show. Not one full dance number from that first dance at the beginning, all the way to the end.

Speaking of dancing, none of the dancers have any sort of personality or even play any role in the film other than to just be there as dancers. Thus bringing us back to the issue of the central plot focusing on the wrong thing. They didn't even bring back any of the original dancers to dance or even play any part in the movie besides a cameo group video chat for 2 minutes. The film even builds it up with Mike constantly dodging their phone calls but they do nothing with it and that was probably my biggest disappointment.

The only positive thing I can say about it is the direction is well executed. The camera angles, the effects and the editing work in the films favor, but that is not enough to save it from being a bad film.

Overall, I couldn't recommend it. The first two are diamonds in the rough, and this one is a rock that sinks straight down to the bottom of the ocean. If it wasn't for Steven Soderbergh's tight direction, I would rate it lower.

1.5 pumps out of 5.