WARNING: This is a movie recap so it will be entirely composed of spoilers. If you’re thinking there’s a plot twist in Magic Mike XXL you don’t want to know about until you behold this movie’s glory on the silver screen, read no further.
Let’s get one thing out of the way–Magic Mike Vol. 1 was not a good movie. I loved it but it was terrible—no plot, terrible acting, and it was pretty dark, gloomy and depressing unless there was bared man flesh available for our delectation.
Magic Mike XXL is an entirely different movie. Believe it or not, this is an actually good movie—thoroughly entertaining, charming, well-intentioned, big-hearted, and well produced, directed, and acted. Magic Mike XXL is Oscar worthy, especially for sound design and the shameless exposure of taut male abdominal muscles. I would give this movie all the Oscars and a few extras.
Magic Mike XXL is, I am willing to argue, a (bad?) feminist movie. Why? This movie caters, at all times, to the female gaze. It is queer friendly. The movie embraces women of all sizes. The movie embraces consent and places an emphasis on women’s sexual pleasure. I wish I had something really smart to say here but this movie felt feminist. The movie treated women like they were sentient beings rather than sexual objects and the movie boldly celebrated women’s sexuality. The men were simply there to serve and satisfy, as they should be.
I saw the movie in a crowded theatre populated with women of all ages and a smattering of men who seemed to be reluctant boyfriends and husbands. I am quite certain those women and I synced our cycles at the screening. Collectively, we shared an intensely erotic experience.
When the movie opens, the most perfect man in the world, Channing Tatum aka Magic Mike Lane is following his dream of building furniture and stuff. He even has a truck with his name on it! And one employee! We all start somewhere. Here is Magic Mike working hard for the money. Let’s take a moment to admire the musculature in his arms.
Amen.
Goddamn!
Some things happen that don’t matter because everyone is fully clothed and then Mike gets a phone call from the old gang. (It has been three years since they were last together.) Dallas (greasy Matthew McConaughey) and “the kid” (that Alex Pettyfer character who was desperately out of place in the first movie) have gone off on their own to make a go of male entertaining in Macau. Anyway, they tell Mike that Dallas is gone so he assumes gone is dead and shows up to a wake at a hotel wearing a suit (and looking excellent), only to discover it’s a pool party. The gang is going to have one last hurrah before they strip their ways into the sunset. Road trip to the stripper convention in Myrtle Beach!
Yes, this is a road trip movie.
Magic Mike wishes the gang well and goes home where alas, he is all alone. Oh, how I would comfort him. He’s in his workshop making furniture, and suddenly, Magic Mike cannot contain himself any longer. He has to dance, okay? The dance is everything.
We hear the first erotic notes of Ginuwine’s “Pony,” which JUST HAPPENS to come on the radio as Magic Mike holds a long metal thing against a grinder. GRIND GRIND GRIND!!!
Magic Mike begins to rock his hips as he grinds his long metal thing (LOLOLOL) and before long he is dancing like the beautiful dancer he was born to be. He gyrates and does gymnastics around the workshop. Mmmm. Yes.
He simulates sexual intercourse with several objects and surfaces, but like, the good kind. Magic Mike puts his back into it, is what I am saying. He breaks a delicious sweat. Women in the audience were all bosoms heaving and breathless. I laughed and laughed and laughed. I even clapped, CLAP CLAP CLAP! I was so happy. I felt every thrust, and I felt those thrusts everywhere.
Boring things happen and the male entertainers head out on the open road. They travel in a food truck that is the future business of Tobias and Tito. These fellas are going to make artisanal fro yo and deejay out of the truck. It makes sense if you watch the movie. We all have dreams.
Big Dick Richie (that Joe Manganiello with the perfect body) throws Mike’s phone out of the window as they hurtle down the road so there will be no distractions. Blah blah blah, things happen that don’t involve stripping. They stop at Mad Mary’s, where a drag show is going on and then there is a vogue off and the guys get in on the fun because goddamnit, if they are going to have a last hurrah, they are going to have a last hurrah.
After those festivities, they head to the beach and have a party and blah blah blah. Magic Mike gets up to pee in the wild (RUDE) and this young woman, Zoe, takes pictures of him and why wouldn’t she? It’s terribly invasive but also understandable. They end up discussing their drag names because she too was at Mad Mary’s. Hers is Dolly Titz and his is Clitoria Labia or something along those lines. I approve, regardless. There is some banter and they part ways. The next morning, the guys are off again, and they spice things up with some Molly. I’m old so I only know Molly is a drug of some kind, often referenced in songs.
Throughout there is a random subplot about Ken (Matt Bomer, the pretty one), being on a spiritual journey. He’s all about meditating and he’s a level three reiki healer. The little backstories they tried to give each of the male entertainers are adorable. All you need to know is that Ken (heh) looks great. Don’t worry about this too much. By the end of the movie, they abandon this nonsense.
The guys start feeling the Molly and then, bless his heart, Magic Mike has an idea. He’s like, guys, let’s make up some new routines and stuff. He is so earnest that I wanted to hug every part of him, with my mouth. Big Dick Richie is all nervous about this because he has his fireman routine.
Hey, let’s take a moment to appreciate that.
Magic Mike gives Big Dick Richie (Sidebar/backstory: he has such a big dick he can’t find a woman who can accommodate him. I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!) a little inspirational speech and when they stop at a convenience store, Big Dick Richie decides he’s going to make a disinterested lady clerk smile. “I Want it That Way,” by the Backstreet Boys starts playing but BDR allows himself to feel the music and soon he is doing the damn thing. There is a great ejaculatory moment involving a water bottle. Note that he is wearing gray sweatpants, clever costuming detail.
When he’s done, BDR asks the clerk how much for the Cheetos he ripped open and the water and she smiles and he feels so good about himself. (See: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.)
The gang gets back on the road. Somewhere along the way we learn that Magic Mike proposed to Brooke (I think that’s her name), and she turned him down. Honestly, this was the most implausible part of the movie. Like, GIRL, WHAT? Get your life right.
The men have a prayer moment which goes awry when the truck crashes into a tree! OH NO! Tobias ends up with a concussion and the food truck is going to need a few days to be repaired. They have no emcee and no transportation. What to do?
Now the movie goes from very good to absolutely amazing. Magic Mike knows someone in Savannah who might be able to help. Of course he does. He’s Magic Mike!
They head to a mansion with a neon sign, DOMINA over the entrance, as well as two imposing security guards. Inside, we see pretty people and Magic Mike is taken upstairs where he comes face to face with Rome (Jada Pinkett/Black Don’t Crack), who is, we learn, a former lover. He also used to work with her before he ran off to Tampa to dance with greasy Dallas. There’s clearly some history between them but whatever. I mostly paid attention when they tongued each other down. I really had no interest in the like, “plot,” though to give credit where credit is due, this movie tried really hard to fill the moments between dancing scenes with a story.
Magic Mike asks Rome to emcee for them at the convention and she gets huffy because she has moved on and then says she’s going to show him what she does.
Turns out at DOMINA, women pay a monthly fee and get to watch men strip in various rooms. It’s mostly black women (YESSSSSSS) and women of all sizes (YASSSSSS) and incredibly hot black men (YESSSSSSSS) taking their clothes off. As Rome emcees various male entertainer vignettes, she refers to women as queens and focuses on women’s actual wants and desires. Quite frankly, every man in America should go watch this movie, and TAKE NOTES. Srsly. Do this, men, if you’re having romantic issues. Or if you need a refresher on treating a lady right.
Sidebar: I took notes for my own romantic situation. 1. Locate abdominal muscles or draw some on torso. 2. Invest in baby oil. 3. Practice hip thrusting and body rolling. 4. Practice dancing in time to sexy R & B. 5. Practice carrying a lady around a room while engaging in number 3. 6. Learn how to “massage” with hands and other parts. 7. Work on endurance. 8. Costumes? Doctor perhaps? 9. Simulating various sexual acts always goes over well. 10. Don’t sweat, perspire.
Sidebar: You may wonder if there is any male frontal nudity in this movie. There is not and I didn’t mind at all. I’m a fan of The D but I don’t really need to see all that business flopping around on the movie screen to be turned on. Let’s be real. How often are we actually looking at The D when we interact with it?
The next twenty minutes or so of the movie involve amazing dance sequences set to amazing music. One guy drizzles himself in baby oil. Donald Glover is in this movie (!) and sings a sexy romantic song to a lady who wants to feel beautiful. So much fine man flesh. So, so much. Finally, Rome throws down a gauntlet, inviting Magic Mike aka WHITE CHOCOLATE to dance and dance he DOES.
It was straight up sexy as HELL. I wish I could adequately describe this scene but just imagine Magic Mike’s beautiful body rolling and popping and locking and flexing and humping and there was also a lot of simulating oral sex. In this scene and others, he also twirled women around, held them upside down as he gyrated, got a little threesome grind action going, did a handstand and thrust his pelvis, and basically, he defied gravity while being absolutely sexy.
It was all very spectacular.
My vagina fluttered away from my body, toward the screen and into Magic Mike’s hands. This whole sequence was so great, women in the audience around me LOST! THEIR! SHIT! ENTIRELY! They were standing and hooting and hollering and clapping and THROWING ACTUAL DOLLAR BILLS AT THE SCREEN AS IF THE DANCERS MIGHT CATCH THEM. Yup. This happened. I was like, wow. WOW! What a time to be alive.
Sidebar: I started wondering why these women were so frenzied. I marveled similarly at the response to the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. I continue to believe far too many women are desperately undersexed and/or inadequately sexed. One of the most enjoyable parts of this movie was that women were allowed to be sexual in really ribald ways, without being degraded. They were neither virgins nor whores, they were just people who enjoy being turned all the way on. It’s really not rocket science. It was also refreshing to see lust celebrated instead of shamed.
Rome sends the boys on to Charleston with a ride in her Escalade and they meet up with a friend of Tito’s from the beach party at another mansion. This one is filled with women of a certain age getting saucy on expensive wine. Zoe from the beach is also there. Don’t question it, just nod. One of these women is Andie MacDowell who is looking fantastic as well. There is way too much dialogue in this scene but the gist of it is that these women are deeply sexually unsatisfied, mostly because the men in their lives cannot be bothered to figure out how to please their women. Do better, men.
Andie MacDowell admits she’s only ever been with one man so you know she’s about to have that particular issue resolved. There is no subtlety in this movie, none at all and Magic Mike XXL is better for that. She asks Big Dick Richie to show off “the goods” and mmmm, he does. What a physique. Sir, I salute you. Andie says, DAYYYYUM perfectly and we’re all thinking it. It’s a moment.
Ken makes one of the women feel better by singing “Heaven” and grinding on her and all the women are affirmed as beautiful creatures who deserve to be seen and treated as such. It’s all perfect.
The next morning, heh, Big Dick Richie has finally found a woman who can take all of his massive manhood (get it,Andie).
Sidebar: I STILL VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!!!
She sends them off to Myrtle Beach (finally), in a Bentley (LOLOLYUP) and even has their hotel rooms upgraded. Rome and Donald Glover (Andre in the movie) and Twitch from SYTYCD (his character is named Malik and he is FINE AS HELL) are there with Rome. The guys go to sign in at the “convention” and guess who is working the desk? Effie Trinket!
Or, you know, Elizabeth Banks. She’s Paris in this movie and she knows Rome and White Chocolate/Magic Mike. In fact, she knows Rome really well and there is a HOTT little moment between them, so hot that it gets the fellas a 10:20 time slot. As they go off to rehearse, Paris tells them, “That’s a money slot so make money in that slot.” Heh. So great. There’s a hilarious montage of the guys preparing new routines featuring a surprising amount of arts and crafts. It’s very reminiscent of every Step Up movie when there’s a routine being planned. (I am kind of a dance movie expert.)
Finally, we get to the part we’ve all been waiting for. Everyone gets their moment. Rome emcees beautifully, seductively. Jada Pinkett is flawless in this movie. She is utterly flawless and sexy and charismatic and I hope she gets the bigger roles she deserves.
Each male entertainer does something that also speaks to his passion beyond dancing. Tarzan vaguely strips while making art. Tito strips and pours chocolate and whipped cream on three women and that has nothing to do with his yogurt dreams but you know, it’s cool.
Sidebar: I wish a motherfucker would pour chocolate and whipped cream on me in a public space when I’m dressed nice.
Ken sings “Untitled (How Does it Feel?” as he does his strip dance. Did you know Matt Bomer can sing? And that he handles this song really well? Now you know!
Andre sings, “Marry Me,” while Big Dick Richie, in a tuxedo puts a huge (FAKE) diamond ring on a woman’s finger and then he tosses her in a sling. Yes. A SLING. I won’t get into how I know all about slings but I was THRILLED. Fantastic all around. Nine Inch Nails, “Closer,” starts blasting and my goodness, I kept fanning myself. I was very, very warm.
The big finale involved Malik and Magic Mike dancing on two women plucked from the audience. Before they enter the stage, though, Rome warns the audience at the convention that women not on birth control should proceed to the nearest exit because some grown woman shit is about to go down. She ain’t never lied. Grown woman shit is exactly what goes down. I feel like I got a little bit pregnant (quadruplets, probably) from what happened next.
One of the plucked women is Zoe, of course, because she needed a little pick me up (boring plot reason, why not worth explaining). They get down to “Anytime” by 112 which is one of the sexiest songs in the history of sexy songs. The whole dance is perfect. And hot. Twitch is looking so damn fine. Channing is everything.
Each time Magic Mike ground his hips or thrust his pelvis or inhaled or exhaled, I clenched. At one point, he flips Zoe onto her stomach, and presses his hand against the back of her head and just looks so GRRRRR TAKE CHARGE BUT IN A CONSENSUAL WAY. I wanted to just jump up and down. I know we all enjoy different things but Channing Tatum can absolutely do anything he wants to me and he can start with all the moves he displays in this movie. We’ll work it out from there.
By the middle of this foursome, my vagina exploded and resurrected itself three seconds later and exploded again. I’m afraid to check on her at this point. Suffice it to say, shit got real. There were a lot of sexual acrobatics and gymnastics. I reached a place beyond happiness and I am still there.
At the end of their number, Malik and Mike do a sexy high five while holding the lucky ladies.
Frankly, I don’t remember much of what happens after that. I do know I desperately needed a cigarette.
In summary: Magic Mike loves to dance. Magic Mike loves to make furniture. Magic Mike believes God is a woman. Magic Mike dates black women. Magic Mike is good at sex and by good I mean he is absolutely amazing. You can just tell by his swagger.
Tags: channing tatum, Channing Tatum can do anything he wants to me, feminist movies, Magic Mike XXL, OMG GIVE MAGIC MIKE XXL an Oscar, that Joe guy isn’t bad either, the butter, the female gaze
precisely!
YES.
The IT guy came around at 10:15 to tell us that the server might be down momentarily and I PANICKED, because ROXANE PROMISED ME MAGIC MIKE XXL AT 10:30 but it’s OK, guys, it’s all good, Our Lady Gay came through for me, and it was more glorious than I could have imagined.
I really should not have read that on the silent bus to work.
This sounds like what I thought the first Magic Mike would be and GODDAMN AM I EXCITED TO SEE IT.
FYI the first Magic Mike is great if you see it at a drive-in with your girlfriends and you turn the sound off and make up dialogue for the non-stripping scenes.
It is also great if you see it opening weekend sitting in front of an entire row of sorority gals happily lit on margaritas.
Shit, I think I need a cigarette after *reading* this.
No shit, man. Phew.
True story.
Sold.
This is my favourite ever movie review.
My body is ready.
you did see Jimmy Fallon and Charming Tater do their thing as scripted by elementary school kids, yes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=374&v=az5qOjh…
Because I was with the kids, knowing only a title and being bereft of current pop culture, until I read what you told me here and i am now intrigued and wondering whether or not to bring the gentleman with me when I see it soonest.
I have not seen that yet, but I WILL FIND IT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az5qOjhsang
That was some interesting imaginary bicycle action there.
Goddamn but I need a babysitter.
Good lord.
I started this thinking, “it’s not like I’m gonna see it, but this sounds interesting”, and then I hit the third or fourth paragraph, and now I’ve made my scrollbar teleport to the bottom of the page because I NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE.
YES. Call the producers and get Ms. Gay a back-end deal, she has entirely sold me on a movie that I did not care one iota about before I read this masterpiece.
I do what I can. And thank you. Hehe.
I think I had some kind of religious experience reading this. I forgot to breathe at one point. Good Lord…
I forgot to breathe so much while I watched this movie. I would have passed out except I didn’t want to miss ANYTHING.
EXACTLY. I found myself curling up into a fetal position in the movie theater seat. NEED TO SEE AGAIN.
Well, now I know what I’m going to be doing on Sunday morning. TO THE CINEMA.
This review…..my god. Thank you, Roxane, for your sacrifices for art and humanity, for elevating criticism to a new level, for casting a gimlet eye onto the vagaries of Hollywood entertainment.
Also: I am not going to be able to see this until next week and I’m sort of bummed that the theater might not be fully packed? I feel like that would be an important part of the Magic Mike Experience. And now I CANNOT WAIT til next week.
This movie lends itself very well to being seen in a packed theatre but you will enjoy the viewing experience regardless. I promise.
I saw the first Magic Mike approx 3 weeks after it was released, and the theater was still packed. There is hope!!
Having seen #1 on opening night in a fully packed theater (where I counted the Y chromosomes — we were about 1 in 30), I took pains to take my mother to this one on opening night. It turned out to be a much less packed theater, which did indeed lessen the experience. Maybe you can make up for it by bringing enough friends?
I was entirely alone in the cinema this morning to see it! But I am quite antisocial which is why I go to the 10.30am Sunday screenings.
This isn’t a movie review, this is AN EXPERIENCE REVIEW and I pretty much love it.
All those things on my to-do list suddenly seem vastly less important.
Oh, look, my local theatre has showings EVERY SIXTY MINUTES from 10:30 am – 10:30 pm. I believe in magic!
Run, don’t walk.
I’ve got a flight to catch tomorrow evening & am calculating how many viewings I can fit in (hee) before then.
Make sure you see a crowded showing! The group experience is vital.
File this under: things I should not have tried to read at work. *blushes*
I giggled so loud but did not care. Had to let the sexual tension out in some way.
I know I am always like “TOAST FIELD TRIP,” but if ever there was a reason for a TOAST-AND-BUTTER FIELD TRIP it is this. Pick a city I will meet you all there with cigarettes and chocolate bars.
We (NYC ladies) are going on the 4th and on the 18th! Come join usssssssss.
*begins researching cross-country flights*
Wait where on Jul 18th? I’m in NYC. May I join?
Between this and Mad Max Fury Road, this is best goddamn movie summer ever.
YESSSSSS
I desperately want a Magic Max crossover to happen.
Can’t decide if it was a good or bad idea for me to read this at work while eating a banana.
Are you going to get in trouble for sexual harassment over *how* you ate the banana?
GAHTDAHM
Well good lord. I got all hot and bothered while reading this and now I’m really mad I’m not seeing it until Saturday.
Mmm hmm she is.
When he says that god is a woman. This movie. It needs an EGOT.
I think I got pregnant just from reading this review.
I will bring the baby gifts.
1. Locate abdominal muscles or draw some on torso.
I have just the product for you:
I think the time to see this just may be on my birthday coming up.
This review is exactly and perfectly accurate.
I literally do not think I will ever be so happy at a movie for the rest of my life as I was watching this one.
When I someday find a magic lamp, my only wish from the genie will be that I can be Jada Pinkett Smith’s character in this movie. BECAUSE GODDAMN.
Ha, yes!! t’s two days later and I’m still happy!!
Everything about this review is 100% accurate. God bless them, every one (but especially Jada, Channing, and Donald).
Girl this review is everything. Saw this last night and just had the.best.time. What a time to be alive in indeed. So many perfect lines in this, but here are my two favorites:
“When he’s done, BDR asks the clerk how much for the Cheetos he ripped open and the water and she smiles and he feels so good about himself. (See: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.)”
&
“Sidebar: I wish a motherfucker would pour chocolate and whipped cream on me in a public space when I’m dressed nice.”
Love you Toasties.
This review is 100% correct. I am 30 and have never written a fan letter before, and I honestly want to write Channing and the fellas a tear-stained letter and thank them for what they’ve done for womankind. It is a tremendous film. Probably the greatest film ever made.
Excerpts from my gchats to my sister this morning:
“IT’S THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE
WE CHEERED
WE APPLAUDED
WE AMEN’D
Channing came on screen in literally the first shot of the film and the whole theatre applauded
We were READY
That man has given womankind so many gifts
There is a scene with older ladies being appreciated
how could you not like it, honestly?
I think every review with a negative thing to say is stupid
It’s a perfect film
take purse wine and be prepared to have a fucking great time
But also know that we were so randy when we got out of there that we humped an escalator from sheer joy and I smoked a cigar with [my roommate] on the back porch because I needed some kind of release
Pony came on a we laughed and then cheered and then gasped and whooped
We whooped and cheered in appreciation for performers who weren’t even there
It was beautiful
“take purse wine”
this gchat convo reads like some really awesome slam poetry
Saw it last night. I woooohoo-ed. The theater was full of women and gay men, we all clearly were drunk or had purse wine, and I felt like I wanted to become a sisterhood with everyone in that room. There’s so much wonderful going on in this movie it’s almost impossible to highlight.
1. Men being supportive of each other’s dreams and emotions, men being supportive of each other’s sexual prowess, AND being classy. When BDR says, “yeah she’s my glass slipper”- and they all high five and his desire for romance and marriage, I died. I died so many times in this movie.
2. When they DO CRAFTS. Hot men standing around looking over something being sewn.
3. Everything. Everything.
4. While I watched it I was just thinking about the man in my life, and how he’s great and how there are good men out there who are good to women and this movie was a love letter from them to us saying, “we get it. We want to be nice and adore you, and here, we made you this, have a refuge from everything for the next two hours.”
5. I was sweating by the end of this movie. And I could feel the AC on.
PS forgot my last note, which was the sheer JOY represented by this movie. The idea that women’s participation in sex acts with men could just be filled with JOY, that hetero relationships could be light as soap bubbles and as sweet as whipped cream, is not something you ever see. Even if you think about how sly and sexy Secretary is, which I throughly enjoyed, its still a heavy kind of sex, fraught with power and secrecy and such. if you think about twilight and 50 shades, it requires literal torture to be acceptable for the female protagonist to have desire, and also the tutoring of older men.
And then there’s this movie. Where we learn that Mike has a FEMALE mentor. Where women aren’t upset or twisted or tortured, where the men get their joy from giving the women joy, where these straight men aren’t threatened by happy drag queens, or large women, where they acknowledge the cultural debt white performers owe black performers, straight performers owe gay performers, where they say listening to women is rewarding for men…it’s incredible. Everyone in the theater was cry-laughing and gasping and it was this amazing catharsis of humor and sexiness. Even though the first one was fun at times, it was so heavy handed, and this movie was like, FUCK IT, GIVE THE LADIES WHAT THEY WANT. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another movie made by men, starring so many men that so clearly said, we just want women to feel happy.
And when I read a review by a man who is like, “yeah but it’s not that good a movie” I actually feel sad for them. Because I’d guess that their experience of sex hasn’t got camp and it hasn’t got joy and it hasn’t got humor and love and it hasn’t got any sense of what a female perspective feels like, and here you go, here’s a chance to share all that, and you’re like, “but the writing!” And it’s sad because I want everyone to feel that joy, and that’s what I felt in the theater was all the people there were just DELIGHTED to be be there, ready to be completely uncritical and just surrender to glee and this movie didn’t hit any wrong notes at any point so you could just go along with it.
YES all of this!!! I just keep thinking I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a movie that just LIKES women like this one does?? A movie that thinks that women are cool and fun and that to be nice to them is just a good thing that one should do for yourself and others. The big payoff is getting a woman to SMILE. Two times actually in this movie the whole achievement for one of the strippers– sorry, male entertainers– is literally just putting a smile on a woman’s face. Female desires are acknowledged but not played for laughs or eyerolls, BUT women get to laugh while being lustful?? Just a lot of smiling in this movie I guess.
YES ALL OF THIS YES
Yes this, exactly. I kept thinking, while I was watching it, “this movie is made for us!” There were fat girls and older women and women of color — seriously, those scenes in Domina with hundreds of beautiful black extras in all sizes and shapes getting ground up on while Donald Glover sang about how beautiful they were — and it was so clear the movie was made with its audience in mind. I read that all the women had input — McDowell and Pinkett-Smith made up their own characters and some dialogue, and Heard wanted Mike to encourage her character’s job ambitions and not to end up romantically with him. Our theater was wild and crazy and at the end someone yelled “rewind!” Just a great and powerful moviegoing experience.
The experience was so worthwhile. I will definitely buy this movie and watch it at home alone a billion times, but the power of seeing it with other women all freaking out, and the incredibly sweet gay men in front of me who were just DYING of laughter, I swear I thought they were going to fall out of their seats during the voguing, it’s worth it. Women need to go see it with other women.
Forget the movie. This review got me hot and sweaty. I haven’t seen the first one, but now I have to see this.
Most fun review of most fun movie. Loved it all.
Two more things:
Elizabeth’s character having a big ol’ French manicure was perfect.
There was a brief Twilight-themed stripper moment.
Best use of “I volunteer as tribute’ ever.
This meme can now be retired.
This review……. has made me question my homosexuality. I am googling the UK release date right now.
I would have enjoyed hearing the pitch to Trent Reznor that convinced him to let them use “Closer.”
Oh my God yes. And whoever was the genius who thought of that – Oscar to you!!!
“THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE,” I whisper-yelled to my seatmate no less than four times.
This movie is a GIFT. Also, my friends and I are already brainstorming the plot of the next one, since this needs to be a Fast & Furious-style franchise.
“this needs to be a Fast & Furious-style franchise.”
CLEARLY.
I nominate this review for President.%20showWPLogin();
You missed Michael Strahan! We’re wondering how much crap Kelly Rippa is giving him about it. Makes me wish I could watch daytime TV.
Also, I never thought much about him but now, daamn.
I’ll just leave this here: http://www.philome.la/nerdfish/winadatewithchanni…
I went this morning, I was the only person in the cinema at 10.30am and that was just as well.
ahem.
Your review just made my whole life. I wrote one, but now I’m all WE’RE NOT WORTHY http://bit.ly/1C36GUg
I finally saw this and I agree with everything you said!! My own personal notes:
1) The whole thing about how male entertainers are there to make women smile was so accurate. I was in a foul, foul mood all day, so foul that my movie companion had to basically prop me up and drag me to the theater. I was determined to grump through it, but less than five minutes in, I was whooping and laughing and grinning as widely as I could.
2) The movie was very well written–the overall sense was of a 2000-2009 indie flick, between the dialogue, the cinematography, even the color choices. As movie companion pointed out, it was “like an American The Trip,” which is a bit of a disservice to Magic Mike XXL but not inaccurate.
3) Channing Tatum insisting that “[his] God is a She,” I think they stole that bit from a dream I had once
In summary: go give this movie your money! You will smile.
AHHH! Any Toasties from Manila here? Watch with me!
Here to report in! Saw it on the 4th, because patriotism, and my pheromones were raging so hard that 10 hours later I got the phone number of the hottest guy at the rooftop party I was at. MAGIC INDEED.
I’m not sure it’s wise to see this film during this particular stage of the month (ovulation), but Roxanne says I have to. To the cinema!
the hot mirror dance finale song is actually called “anywhere,” but otherwise, 100% agreement no disputes. The moment where he simulates cunnilingus in a headstand alone.
Thank you for this! It expresses every feeling I’ve had about this movie. Nobody I know shares my enthusiasm for it, and my now-obsessive crush on Channing Tatum knows no bounds. I saw the movie the first time on the 3rd, and then had no plans on the 5th so I saw it again. I’m going to see it again tomorrow night and I’m beyond excited.
I was lucky enough to see a screening of it with some girlfriends…..we all needed a drink and several cigarettes afterwards that night
Oh my word, this review is everything! I am crying with laughter at how accurate it is.
YES. I think I'm scaring my friends too. I couldn't even sleep that night because I was so worked up. My husband was like, "Can I help you with that?!" and I just couldn't even process what I had been through, I needed to be alone with my thoughts. Tonight though? Tonight he gets the good lovin'.
This is the best review I’ve ever read. I’m laughing and also sweating, just thinking about all of the glorious scenes from the movie. Must see again!!
I’ve seen it 3 times already, and I would totally see it a 4th! and a 5th, 6th, etc.
I finally saw it this weekend and it was everything I dreamed. As I walked home afterwards, I kept half expecting every good-looking guy to start dancing for me and taking off his clothes.
I’m solo late to this review but thanks to nerdland I have caught up and
This review is just as awesome as the movie
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj38/randomdig…
Roxane, I gave my daughter your book and she gave me this review. I LOVED it. You and I are on the same page. As a woman of a certain age, I like that! I hope you won’t find me rude to share my review of this movie as well. I wrote this before I saw yours and it makes me happy to know that we came up with the same conclusion! I thought you might get a kick out of it coming from someone much older than you! http://rosythereviewer.blogspot.com/2015/07/magic… Thanks for a great review! Rosy Brewer
This movie was everything, and I don't even like dudes all that much.
OMG!!! This review was everything!! I could not have said it better. Magic Mike XXL was the truth!!!
okay…so lets be clear …it is october…this movie has been in my wish list for MONTHS..I stored it because Jada Pinkett is in it..and well..Jada..I try to support her no matter what ( I loved the Human Stain and if you haven’t seen it go do it now..its not magic Mike its thought provoking not libido inspiring) but after catching this review I felt like I was failing my people (women) and I needed to get with this..OH MY DAMN…I loved the hell out of this movie…it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun and portrayed women as honest sexual beings not hoes ..not thirsty …not THOTS..or OLD…just humans with a legitimate recognized sex drive that should be embraced…I LOVED IT…it was enjoyable for the comraderie and the friendships the fun and the melancholy and the damned sexy ass men being embraced by the damn sexy women who just want to feel and love and laugh and enjoy like everybody with a dick does. “he’s not voldemort you can say his fucking name man!!)
Best. Review. EVER❤️
how. how are there no comments on this. WHAT IS HAPPEN.
OK I know this was, like, a year ago or something, which is like 7 years in internet time, but I just got this on DVD and watched it with New Squeeze, whose main takeaway is that he should make sure he’s asking me what I want because Magic Mike makes the world a better place.