Warning: This post contains spoilers for Magic Mike’s Last DanceMagic Mike’s Last Dance fails to follow through on a promise made ahead of the film’s release. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike’s Last Dance wraps up Mike Lane’s story, with Channing Tatum returning to reprise the role for the final time. Initially meant to stream exclusively on HBO Max, Magic Mike’s Last Dance received a theatrical release, but a lukewarm critical reception and diminished box office returns compared to the first two films.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance takes the former furniture business owner and stripper to London after a lap dance and night of ion with Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek), the wealthy wife of a media mogul, turns into a job opportunity too good to up. Ahead of the film’s release, Tatum talked up the final Magic Mike film, teasing certain elements of the story and what audiences could expect going in. Last Dance sets itself up as being different from its predecessors, namely by having Mike’s romance with Maxandra be central to the plot and removing the Kings of Tampa due to Mike being in London. However, the film doesn’t deliver in one key respect.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance Doesn’t Fulfill Its Promise Of More Dancing
In February 2022, Magic Mike’s Last Dance actually had more character and less dancing overall. With a few exceptions, most of the dance sequences were short and largely occurred during the stage show, where Mike and Maxandra’s recruited dancers finally performed for a live audience. Maxandra and Mike’s story took center stage, with the plot often overshadowing the dancing, as well as the fun that it brings.
Similarly, Soderbergh promised the dancing in Magic Mike’s Last Dance would be on another level, but it wasn’t. All that said, Tatum does work hard to deliver a couple of note-worthy and memorable dance sequences that bookend the film. The quality of these dances — Mike’s lap dance and his ballet-inspired dance with real-life ballerina Kylie Shea — are high, however, and the choreography is fantastic, even if there aren’t as many dance sequences as previously alluded to. The overall lack of dancing is ultimately disappointing, though, especially since Magic Mike’s Last Dance is the final film in the trilogy.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance Has Least Amount Of Dances In Trilogy
Magic Mike’s Last Dance has approximately 11 dances, including one where Hayek and Tatum groove to “Suavemente” during the stage show rehearsals. Compared to 2015’s Magic Mike XXL and 2012’s Magic Mike, Last Dance falls behind in dance sequences. The first two films even have more lap dances, and around 17 dances in each film, bringing the total to 34 dance sequences. The final film in a franchise has to live up to a lot of expectations, certainly, especially when the first two films in the Magic Mike trilogy are so memorable — each in their own way.
Ultimately, the lack of dance sequences in Magic Mike’s Last Dance harms more than it helps the film. Not only does its promise go unfulfilled, but it doesn’t live up to its predecessors’ dance output. The film makes up for the lack of dancing in other places, like in its story and relationship development, but the low quantity in dance sequences is a missed opportunity for Magic Mike’s Last Dance to go out on an even higher note.
