Netflix Steamy Sequel Is The End Of An Era

When the first Magic Mike came out way back in 2012, nobody anticipated that it would kick off an entire franchise. But that’s exactly what happened, and that first entry was followed three years later by Magic Mike XXL. We thought we had seen the last of the series after that movie retired Channing Tatum’s male stripper character, but over a decade since the debut of the original film, Magic Mike’s Last Dance brings the star back for one last ride.

The plot of Magic Mike’s Last Dance is, in its own way, as realistic as it is bleak: after retiring from stripping, Tatum’s character opens his own furniture business in Florida, but it went under during the COVID-19 pandemic. After someone recognizes him from his former stripping career, the scintillating dancer gets an offer he can’t refuse. A huge payday is waiting for him if he travels to London and helps choreograph the dance moves for a stage play that will be premiering very soon.

The Magic Mike series has always relied on its provocative appeal to rev audience engines, and we get that in abundance with this third entry. Channing Tatum’s onscreen persona continues to ooze as much charisma as sensuality, and this movie pairs him with sizzling cinema star Salma Hayek. From their characters’ first meeting until the end credits, these actors have so much killer chemistry that we thought our television was going to catch on fire.

One of the more interesting things about the production of Magic Mike’s Last Dance is that it was originally going to be a streaming-only title released exclusively to Max. However, after the movie had very strong test screenings, Warner Bros. Decided to give it a theatrical release. Once they did so, however, both the box office returns and the critical reception were a tad mixed.

On the box office front, this third Magic Mike film earned $57.1 million against a budget of $45 million. That means the movie earned a mild profit, but we’re betting the studio was hoping for a healthier return after nixing plans to make this a streaming-only film. Critically speaking, the movie ended up getting a 48 percent rating from critics who mostly complained that the movie had lost the “magic” of the first two entries.

Of course, box office and critical ratings have never been great ways to measure the cultural impact of the Magic Mike films: for one thing, Magic Mike’s Last Dance has a 73 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating that audiences dug this erotic offering far than critics did. For another thing, the franchise as a whole is notable for providing high-budget erotic films aimed squarely at a female audience. In a world where most of the celebrity skin offered by Hollywood is aimed firmly at the male gaze, we can’t help but applaud this equal-opportunity approach to delectable debauchery.

Considering the middling box office of Magic Mike’s Last Dance, it’s not clear whether we are destined to get a sequel or not. However, nobody expected the series to get a third film in the first place, and if the movie does well enough on streaming, we could see Channing Tatum’s character get his groove on yet again. If that sounds appealing, it’s time to stream Magic Mike’s Last Dance, and if you need a bit of privacy while you’re watching it, we completely understand.