Magic Mike XXL

"It's not bro time, it's show time. Are you guys ready?" It's been three year since Mike (Tatum) last danced. He runs a successful business and is looking to make a great life for himself. When he hears that the rest of the Kings of Tampa want to give up the life too they all decide there is only one way to retire. The boys head to Myrtle Beach for one last performance. First thing I have to say is that I am a man, so this review is done from my point of view. I thought the first movie wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but to me it was just cheesy and actually pretty much what I expected. I do remember there was enough comedy in it to keep me interested. This movie seemed to play on the women will watch the hell out of this so it doesn't matter what we do. As far as that thinking goes, it worked. My wife really liked it, but I'm not sure if she liked the movie or just liked watching the movie. This is a movie that is pretty much review proof, either you want to see a movie about male strippers or you don't. Not much else to say. Overall, not as good as the first one, mainly because this one had no real story. On the other hand I am a guy, not the target audience, and the only reason most women watch is not for the plot. I give this a C.

90% of this movie begs the question - Why?

Why is the dialogue so drawn out, yet adds nothing to the plot? Why is one boring scene entirely unlit? Why can't Amber Heard make eye contact? Why is Michael Strahan here for 5 minutes? Why barely use Twitch in a movie about dancing? Why are they littering while driving?

I give that 90% of the film 3 stars.

BUT I give Joe Manganiello's dance scenes 10 stars. His performance to "I Think I Wanna Marry You" will be a special memory for the rest of my life. Thank you, Joe.

My suggestion to the viewer is to fast forward directly to the last 30 minutes.

I forget who recommended MMXXL, but I'm glad they did.

Let's get this out of the way; yes, there's ripped dudes dancing, but that takes a backseat to the core of the film's message.

This is a road trip movie about grief and loss, healing, and finding strength through friendship. Every character has clear and distinct motivations. And each character has their own challenges that they must overcome in order to compete in the film's climactic dance competition.

Slowly as the posturing stops and the walls come down, is when we learn what each character is actually going through and how much this trip actually means to each of them.

Joe Manganiello, for example, as an insecure dude who is starved for intimacy was incredibly endearing, and his dance sequence in the gas station is hilarious.

Even Tatum does a decent job here. Sure, the script doesn't give him a ton to work with. However, his interactions with one of the only other main women in the film comes across as very respectful and even tender. It's refreshing to see a platonic relationship depicted this way between a man and woman, especially in a film such as this.

Should you seek this movie out? Absolutely. You might be surprised how relatable it is. Temper your expectations a little, and just enjoy the ride.

So on the surface this is about some dudes dancing with not much else. However, if you look under the surface and get into the message it's trying to convey you will see that these guys are worshipping women. We are queens, we are beautiful no matter our size. The men worship the women and it's lovely to see. It isn't all sleaze and sex. It's about laughing, comradeship and boosting women. Can't be all bad.

Is this Shakespeare? No. Is this some boring Oscar winning movie? No. It's just a hot, sexy, hilarious blast. I saw this movie in the theater when it came out, and the whole audience was having a great time. Sometimes, you need something light and sweet! I will say, tho, if you are straight guy, you probably won't like it, because it definitely was not made for you. Enjoy!