[Movie Review] Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Director: Gregory Jacobs

Writer: Reid Carolin

Runtime: 115 min

Main Cast:

Channing Tatum as Mike
Juan Piedrahita as Salavador
Joe Manganiello as Big Dick Richie
Kevin Nash as Tarzan
Matt Bomer as Ken
Jada Pinkett Smith as Rome
Donald Glover as Andre

Review: by Erika T

Mike Lane (played by Channing Tatum) retired from stripping three years ago, finally starting his own custom design business as he was aspiring to do in the original. He’s been working hard, but the former “male entertainer” finds himself missing performing on stage. He also misses the friends he made among his fellow dancers, the Kings of Tampa. He meets up with them again as they travel to a stripper convention in Myrtle Beach as their last hurrah. Originally reluctant, Mike decides to join them on a once in a lifetime road trip to taste the sweetness of the stage one last time.

What I Liked:

This sequel was entertaining all throughout. I thought there was better dialogue compared to the first when it started out good, giving you what you came there for, but then it tried to incorporate a story at the end…and it wasn’t a good one. That one ended on a fizzle. This one does not.

Some cameos were totally shocking but no less entertaining. Keep your eyes peeled for Michael Strahan. That’s all I’m gonna say on that one…

Matthew McConaughey was a big reason why the first one was a good as it was in some parts, but XXL ended up being a better film even without him. I didn’t find myself missing “The kid” (played by Alex Pettyfer) either. I think the cast played off one another better compared to the original and their individual personalities shone through more. It was really funny and witty, leaving the audience howling with laughter several times. The script is better written, feeling more confident in what it is and what it’s trying to do.

Channing himself I feel like he had more routines in the first one, but he still delivers. The dancers were as diverse as the crowds they danced for. I noticed they made sure to especially pay attention to women of all different shapes sizes and colors, which will make it instantly relatable on some level.

The crowd this time around had a strong male attendance rate, not including press reviewers. When I saw the original, the theater was filled with 99% of women. I think its mainstream status has allowed it to be more acceptable than it otherwise would have been.

4.5

Summary

Overall, if you enjoyed Magic Mike you’ll definitely enjoy Magic Mike XXL. I think they had a lot of fun filming this one and it shows in the final product. Now we’ll see if it gets a XXL increase in box office returns. Either way, it’s going to make a mint with a miniscule budget.

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