Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike's Last Dance finds the cathartic incandescence of the first two films dimmed by repetition. The film opens with Mike (Channing Tatum) down at his heels after losing his furniture store during the Covid epidemic. Tending bar at a benefit, he meets Max (Salma Hayek), a wealthy divorcee who, after learning of Mike's talents, requests a command performance. Intrigued by the big lug, she totes him to London and finances his direction of an epic strip show at a theatrical venue.
What we are left with is the umpteenth version of the "let's put on a show" musical. As in the first two films, the dance routines are kinetic and fun. However, there is little else going on. The economic desperation underlying the strippers lives is not as palpable as in the first two films. The dancers Mike and Max hire are game, but anonymous. This is especially noticeable when the dancers from the first two films share a zoom call with Mike.
However, the main weakness of the film is the romantic relationship between Max and Mike. It is difficult to believe that the romance is anything more than a plot device. Tatum's role fits him like a Speedo at this point, but Hayek's character is never believable despite the fact that the role closely resembles Hayek's real life status as the wife of a wealthy mogul. Hayek has proven she can portray a believably sensual woman (in Frida and Ask the Dust, among others), but her character seems to be more a treatise on feminine empowerment than a flesh and blood creature.
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