Magic Mike: Last Dance (2023) Movie Review

One of the more interesting film series over the past decade has been the Magic Mike trilogy. The films have been a welcome character study, focussing on erotic dancer Mike Lane, played excellently by Channing Tatum in all three outings, as he triverses his own relationships and struggles, to the backdrop of the male stripping industry. We really do see the character grow, which is something I wasn’t expecting for a movie about a male stripper, but after three films here we are. Director Steven Soderbergh handled the first film with such class and poise, with his signature style on full display, creating a great central character to hang a narrative off as well for the subsequent sequels. Soderbergh didn’t handle the second outing, with director Gregory Jacobs stepping into the Director's chair for Magic Mike XXL and writer Reid Carolin (who has written all three films) returning to help with the screenplay. However, Steven Soderbergh is back out of retirement again to helm Magic Mike's Last Dance. Magic Mike’s Last Dance follows Mike Lane as he takes to the stage again after a bad business deal, leaving him broke. He meets Salma Hayek’s socialite Maxandra Mendoza, the two form an unlikely friendship. Magic Mike’s Last Dance was a delight to watch. It was exactly what I was looking for.

As a fan of the first two films, all I was hoping for, from a third instalment, was for the film to be light, delve further into Mike’s character, and give the audience a satisfying conclusion to his story. And that’s exactly what I got from Magic Mike’s Last Dance. The film is thoroughly enjoyable. The real heart of this series has been Channing Tatum’s dramatic work as Mike. He is a stripper with a heart of gold in the literal sense here. The depths that the writing goes to with his character is far superior to many films. It plays to Tatum’s strengths as an actor, as his charisma shines through his more stark and dramatic work in the film. Soderbergh has worked with Tatum on two other occasions outside of the Magic Mike franchise, the criminally underrated Logan Lucky, and the forgotten thriller Side Effects. Soderbergh gets the best out of Tatum when it comes to dramatic performances with Magic Mike’s Last Dance being no exception.

The progression of Mike’s story has also been one that is endearing and memorable. Where his character ends up at the end of this film is in line with what we have seen in the previous two entries, feeling like a natural continuation of his story. I won’t give anything away, but it will be sure to tug at your heart strings. The relationship that he forms with Salma Hayek’s Maxandra Mendoza is also handled well, again without giving much away, I really liked the chemistry of the two of them on screen together and really liked the direction and journey their characters went on. Steve Soderbergh blends the film's more heightened and dramatic sequences in reality, which works for this type of film. It feels like the perfect blend without leaning too far on either side.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance was a great final entry in the trilogy. Whilst it doesn’t reach the heights of the previous two instalments, the conclusion to Mike’s journey was a welcome conclusion. Tatum and Hayek are wonderful together and provide a nice change-up to the previous film’s formula. It’s a must watch for fans of the original two films and if you’re wanting closure, you’re going to get it with this entry. Secure your copy today on DVD or Blu-Ray by picking it up from Sanity’s massive online store here.

Christopher Pattison from Oz Movie Geek wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here