By Darlene Donloe
The 2012
hit, Magic Mike, took the world by
storm with its innovative and raw story about male strippers. It made Channing Tatum a sex symbol, a
household name, a box office giant and a movie star.
Three
years later, the follow-up, Magic Mike XXL, out in theaters today, tries to
recreate the magic of its predecessor.
Unfortunately,
the latest offering is a stripped down (pun intended) version of the
first. The story is thin and weak, but female
fans probably won’t even realize the absence. They don’t need no stinkin story!
The
reason is simple. There are so many hunky, good-looking gyrating, pulsating, sweaty,
sexy male hard bodies in this movie – who cares about a story.
Ok, so here it. Magic Mike
XXL picks up the story three years later. Mike, who was at the top of his
game, has left the life and is now running his own furniture business.
The rest of the Kings of Tampa have their sights on one last
hurrah performance at a convention in Myrtle Beach. The gang’s all here. There’s Tarzan (Kevin
Nash), Ken ( Matt Bomer), Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello) and Tito (Adam
Rodriguez). The crew piles into a yogurt
truck and make there way to South Carolina.
Of course along the way shenanigans ensue. These guys welcome
any opportunity to dance - even in a convenience store simply to get the clerk
to smile. The stop at a gay strip club and show them how its done. They also
attend a beach party. At the beach party Mike meets Zoe (Amber Heard). The two
make a connection. It’s all about women
and dancing, dancing and women. Once on the road they make their way to
Jacksonville and Savannah.
Eventually Mike makes it to his old stompin grounds where Rome (Jada
Pinkett Smith), his old friend and old flame, still reigns. Their friendship is quickly rekindled when Rome shows up to emcee the guy's last blow-out performance. The last dance, featuring all of the guys in individual sets, is sensational. It's wild, raunchy, sexy and, at times, messy. Some of the scenes will leave women with heart palpitations.
The movie is good fun. The dance numbers are on fleek. It’s
worth a big bag of popcorn with extra butter!
Magic Mike XXL, directed by Gregory
Jacobs, stars Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam
Rodriguez, Jada Pinkett Smith and Gabriel Iglesias. It features Stephen
‘tWitch” Boss, Elizabeth Banks, Amber Heard, Andie McDowell, Donald Glover and
Michael Strahan.
Magic Mike XXL (Warner Bros) is Rated R
(for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. Running time: 1 hr. 55 min.
On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs
work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Magic Mike XXL gets an O (oh, yeah).
#MagicMikeXXL
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