Review: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' is a soulless melodrama with dance interludes

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Magic Mike’s Last Dance
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Reid Carolin
Starring: Salma Hayek, Channing Tatum
Genre: Drama
Rated: R for sexual material and language.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Studio Synopsis:"Magic" Mike Lane (Channing 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 (Salma 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?

Review: Am I supposed to take any of this seriously? “Magic Mike” wasn’t exactly a film bubbling over with substance and yet with each sequel Reid Carolin has managed to push the franchise to a new intellectual low. Sure, the dancing is great, but is it wrong of me to expect more from a Steven Soderbergh movie than the low-rent melodrama that “Last Dance” has to offer?

Yes, it is probably wrong of me to expect more.

Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault) has left her incredibly wealthy husband and has taken control of his family’s prestigious London theatre where she now intends to produce, for one night only, a male strip show based on the lap dance she received from Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) the night before. Mike, who has given up dancing, will direct the performance.

It is suggested that this all-male review will be incredibly controversial. There’s something very American about the way sexuality is presented in the film that feels a bit out of step with the realities of its setting. “Magic Mike Live,” an official live performance inspired by the films, takes place nightly at the Hippodrome in London’s prestigious West End. You won’t get much more mainstream than that. Although, if you were to ask me, you’d be far better off going to see “Cabaret” and its pre-show performances at the Kit Kat Club. Though, to be fair, “Cabaret” is probably a bit too weighty for wild night out.

So, if you are looking for something dangerous enough to ruffle a few feathers, “Last Dance” will likely disappoint. I found the bulk of the film to be incredibly boring. I didn’t care about any of the characters. I don’t know that I’m expected to.

You might have a better time with the material than I did. Maybe the dances are enough. They weren’t for me.

The most shocking/interesting aspect of “Last Dance” is that they’ve included a dance performance to The Dandy Warhols track “Boys Better.” It works incredibly well.