Given the Channing Tatum–led franchise revolves around male strippers, you would expect a lot of gyrating, tanned abs and some moves that would make you lose your senses (which is exactly what happens in the first two films), but Magic Mike’s Last Dance is surprisingly a hidden gem that goes beyond the stripping. It becomes a lesson for the audience on how dance (in any form) can make you realise who you are… and what you want.
“Magic” Mike Lane (Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Hayek Pinault) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse…and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he—and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape—be able to pull it off?
Director Steven Soderbergh strongly makes this film a woman-led film. Through the eyes of Max (Salma Hayek Pinault), you are part of her world. When she watches Mike, we’re watching Mike. Soderbergh allows the audience to become her through the camera and experience her feelings. Her realisations. After years of women being subjected to men and the male gaze, Soderbergh subverts this in a way so that even though the audience is enjoying the female gaze, we understand Max.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance is available on DVD and Blu-ray now!
