Review of Magic Mike XXL (2015) by Naomi P — 15 Nov 2015

Whereas 'Magic Mike' provided sufficient character drama and all-round plot to remove the awkwardness of watching Channing Tatum and co undress every 20 minutes, 'Magic Mike XXL' is almost completely catered for ladies thus offering little else for guys like me to grab onto (I know what I said, don't even go there). Things like the solid screenplay and character development which actually made the first one good are essentially dropped, meaning it's basically a series of female-pleasing displays joined together by light male stripper banter. The interaction between the group is semi-entertaining and to their credit the actors return for this sequel with the same level of commitment to their half-naked performances. Also, perhaps too graciously, it takes a significant amount of spotlight away from Tatum by sharing the screen time across the strippers or, as they prefer to be called, 'male entertainers'. However this contributes to a lack of focus and it turns out none of them have any personality or issues worth delving into. It is also clear through the regular references to his absence that the story is hurt by Matthew McConaughy's Dallas not being there.

It is not a terrible sequel and I doubt the magic has fizzled out for female viewers but 'Magic Mike XXL' closer meets the male expectations of these movies as just being an on-screen stripper stage show.