Magic Mike’s Last Dance

While Magic Mike XXL expanded on Mike’s circle of friends, they played minor, uncredited cameo parts on a computer screen. Years have passed since the previous sequel, and the Covid-19 pandemic has finished Mike’s furniture business. This time, Mike (Channing Tatum) has not gone back to stripping but working as a bartender for a catering company. He’s working at a party hosted by Maxandra “Max” Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault), who is the talk of the town when we are introduced to her as four housewives talk about her situation, giving us excellent context. She’s in Miami now, avoiding London, where her husband Roger (Alan Cox) is. However, her daughter Zadie (Jemelia George) is still there, giving her a reason to return, even if she doesn’t want to.

The pair become entangled with one another when a woman from Mike’s past (from the very first film when he and the Kid went to a party as strippers dressed as cops) tells Max all about Mike’s former job. Max hesitantly approaches Mike, and while he initially rebuffs (politely) her request for him to give her a one-on-one, he ultimately goes through with it. This lights a fiery passion within Max that she hasn’t displayed since her introduction, hinting at the highs and lows that she goes through. While it’s never stated what it is that Max has, her flighty nature and temperamental emotional swings dominate her character arc.

Mike and Zadie have a great time building a friendship between themselves while he is staying at Max’s home. While she is initially confused by his presence, they grow closer and closer over time, and she provides some help along the way – though at a PG-13 level. One of the funniest moments involving her is when she is allowed to go to the show but is removed from the room during the more adult moments and allowed to return after its conclusion. She was a breath of fresh air, proving Mike could have relationships with women outside of business or pleasure.

The opening scene is a master class in how to present thematic elements. I viewed one of the two major themes for Magic Mike’s Last Dance as “being seen.” While Mike is making drinks for the four housewives gossiping about Max, they completely ignore his presence, despite him serving them, as they talk blithely about the woman hosting the fundraiser they have no genuine interest in. They all act friendly when they see Max, but it’s alright to talk about her as long as she is not within their orbit. Max also barely acknowledges Mike, but something he says throws her for a loop and sticks with her when she seeks him out after Kim speaks to her. How others view Mike and Max and how they carry themselves and live their lives unfolds in most conflicts that the movie throws their way. Whether it be Roger’s indignation that Max would have a stripper staying at their house where their daughter lives or that Mike is only involved with Max because of her money. Roger even holds his money over Max to control her and her life choices, becoming one of the biggest obstacles to a potential relationship between them.

The other theme is evolution or change. Kim (Caitlin Gerard) is one of the only characters who weren’t significant players to have appeared in two films, with no less than ten years between them. In that period, her life drastically changed from being a college party girl to a respectable lawyer working for an incredibly wealthy woman. Each entry ends with Mike in a relationship with a woman, but Brooke (Cody Horn) and Zoe (Amber Heard) are barely mentioned, let alone seen, in the film immediately following their introduction. This is partially why Mike hesitates to do anything with Max when it becomes apparent that they are developing feelings for one another. He’s not entirely sure if he has evolved enough to be in a mature, adult relationship that can last longer than a handful of months. Max, for her part, is struggling to come to terms with whether or not she can be more than the money tying her down. If she chooses Mike, she must give up everything she has worked so hard for – it’s Mike or the money.

Unlike the first two films, stripping is not central to Magic Mike’s Last Dance. It moves the plot along and acts as an appropriate goalpost – with Max and Mike working towards building a revue in an old theater she owns. Yet, it’s more erotic and sensual in a reduced capacity. Few of the men involved in Mike’s dance troupe have any lines of dialogue, and none are substantial characters in their own right. This is inspite of the fact that a five-minute sequence is spent building them up. Every single one is credited as a “dancer” either by itself or with a descriptive term. They have no character and exist solely to dance backup to Mike – even though it’s repeatedly stated that he won’t be the centerpiece of their show. Of course, I knew that that was a lie when I sat in my seat. There was no way they would make a Magic Mike film and not have him dance.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance was intended to close out the trilogy from the moment it was announced. Its existence was a surprise, as the previous entry was released almost a decade beforehand. Next to the two previous entries, Last Dance is the odd one out, which is saying something. Its reliance on fanservice was low because it has grown with its main character. Ten years may not seem like a lot, but going from your early 30s to your early 40s is a massive change. Even Magic Mike acknowledged that Mike, much like Tarzan, was at the twilight of his career, but he kept returning to it even as he tried to move away. His goal had always been to own his own small business, and despite making his dream come true, it fell to pieces when it came face to face with reality. This is something that everybody can genuinely relate to.

Mike and Max go on a tumultuous journey, from literal strangers to the best of friends to finding true love. If we ever do get a fourth Magic Mike film, in any manner, I hope that the pair are still together and that Mike has found his partner in life, even if it’s not the “end.”