Magic Mike XXL (2015)

I recall watching the first Magic Mike movie and remember enjoying it at the time. However, I am somewhat at a loss as to what it was. I need to go back to it at some point in this yearly movie marathon I have embarked on. Because, after watching XXL, I can’t remember it being this tongue’n’cheek and frankly, brilliant.

XXL was a complete riot from start to finish.

Channing Tatum is back as Mike, who decides that life outside of the stripping world isn’t quite going to plan, and would like to have one more taste before he truly settles down. Tatum can sure dance, and we get a taste of his ‘Flashdance’ routine, when alone in his workshop he lets himself go to the music, doing some really artistic moves involving a workbench and a power drill!

He joins up with the crew, who are heading from Tampa to Myrtle Beach in a food truck. This is basically a road movie, with interesting pit stops along the way that gives the boys excuses to perform some fascinating dance routines.

One thing that is worth to note, for a movie about male strippers, I was impressed that no actual nudity (female included) was on-screen, even though there was plenty of excuses to include it.

The story line for XXL is so shallow it isn’t even a puddle. But don’t let that distract you from what turns out to be a real comic and impressive dance movie. Watch out for the challenge, when the lads make Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello) dance for a complete stranger in a convenience store attempting to make her smile. The tears were running down my cheeks as he went through his routine with a bag of cheese crisps/chips and a bottle of water.

They find their way to Will Smith’s squeezes hangout,

Jada Pinkett Smith is Rome, who runs a house for women to come and live out their desires. Again, there is an attempt at a story here, but who cares, let the boys do their dancing to a pack of hungry females. I was seriously impressed, and at the same time laughing my ass off, at some of the moves involving multiple women as they were incorporated into the routines.

Keep an ear out for some of the dialogue, Tatum has some of the funniest lines, and manages to remind us at every turn that we shouldn’t be taking him too seriously, for a man of that age should at least know that he should wear his baseball cap straight! You can tell he is having a blast performing, particularly when you spot him giggling to himself as he spins around, as if to say, he completely acknowledges how absurd this all is but still he doesn’t care.

And this is why this movie is so much fun. Do not take it seriously. Embrace the over acting, the silly dialogue, the lack of a story line and just throw yourself at what is a fun set of impressive dance routines.