Magic Mike is Pure, Carnal Enjoyment

As I sat down in my seat last night waiting for my showing of "Magic Mike XXL" to start, I looked around me to see who else was occupying the theater. Unsurprisingly, every person in attendance (besides myself and my best friend Corey) was either an older, or middle aged woman. Not that this bothered me, but clearly Warner Bros. had nailed it's target audience with the marketing: gay men and women of all ages.

What ensued was perhaps the most fun I have ever had sitting in a movie theater. Laughter, gasps, and the occasional "YAAASSS!" filled the theater for the film's two hour running time. Though far from a necessary installment, "Magic Mike XXL" proves that sequels don't always have to be the joyless, sigh-inducing affairs they've become in the modern marketplace. On the contrary, Channing Tatum and his band of shirtless "male entertainers" glide successfully on their raw charisma and make a film that by all accounts shouldn't work, glisten brighter than their sweaty, beautiful half naked bodies.

Set three years after the first film, Mike (Tatum) is trying his best to make his dream of a construction company a reality. Alas, Mike isn't as successful as a businessman as he was a stripper. He only has one other employee, and no stable accounts to give him or his undocumented partner any security. And while the first film ended with him running off with his love interest (Cody Horn), her absence makes it clear that nothing is really working out the way Mike had intended.

But a chance encounter with the remainder his old crew: Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello), Ken (Matt Bomer), Tarzan (Kevin Nash), Tito (Adam Rodríguez) and Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias) gives Mike an opportunity to escape his current situation and relive his glory days. And though emcee Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) and the ingenue (Alex Pettyfer) are nowhere to be seen, that doesn't stop the group from engaging on a road trip to Myrtle Beach for a last blow out performance at a giant male stripper convention.

What makes XXL such an enjoyable affair (aside from the beautiful men occupying the screen) is that the actors realize how ridiculous the premise is. Amping up their characters' histrionics, each actor (specifically Tatum and Manganiello) displays a level of charisma that elevates their performances to where it seems like their onscreen personas aren't too far off from their real life ones. Tatum's past as a male stripper might actually have a play in what makes his performance so naturalistic, but he's continuing to prove himself as a great leading man. Scenes with dialogue that run too long, actually work because of Tatum's delivery.

Manganiello is clearly having a ball, fully embodying his character's big persona. Sure, he's good looking, but his suave delivery is what makes his Richie irresistible, while co-star Bomer completely dives headfirst into Ken's narcissistic, Barbie doll psyche. The biggest surprise for me, however, was Jada Pinkett Smith as the successor to McConaughey's emcee. Smith's performance is one of the campiest outings I've seen onscreen in awhile, but she rises to the occasion. Expert line delivery and full bodied mannerisms make what could have easily been an imitation of McConaughey into something of her own creation. For all intensive purposes, this character shouldn't fit into this universe, but Pinkett's committed work makes her fit without it seeming forced.

The other surprise was a cameo from Andie MacDowell. Without giving anything away, she gives the perfect supporting performance: stealing the scene without overshadowing her scene partners. She's right at home amongst a room full of male strippers and horny old women drunk off expensive wine. Her character's Southern drawl adds a level of hilarity to what could have been a stock character, and her exchanges with Manganiello are hilarious.

But perhaps my favorite thing about the film, is how it provides the rare opportunity for women to objectify the male body; in this film, the shoe is on the other foot, and the men are totally complicit. Pinkett-Smith's character repeatedly asks the women in the film, "Are you ready to be worshipped? What do you want?" questions that are rarely ever asked of females in the entertainment industry. It's definitely not be the strongest feminist statement in a world that has Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj demanding more for women, but it's a nice change of pace.

Overall, "Magic Mike XXL" is fun in the simplest sense of the word. It's less concerned with storytelling, and more with pleasuring its viewers (and it shows; there are definitely some awkward edits and it's a little longer than it needs to be). But in a world where never-ending superhero sequels and by the numbers remakes are crowding the marketplace, it's good to get your hands dirty with some original, carnal enjoyment, even if it's slipping a dollar bill into Channing Tatum's thong.


Grade: B