Are you expecting Magic Mike XXL to be anything like the original 2012 sleeper hit?
Then you need to stop, because the two movies share almost nothing in common. If the first was designed to make you think, with an occasionally serious take on the pitfalls of climbing the ladder to success, the sequel is specially engineered to delight bachelorette parties. In place of moral quandaries, XXL gives us goofballs in thongs.
The movie is more fun than the sum of its random parts, but you have to manage expectations to enjoy the full giddy effect. In light of that, here's what you need to know about XXL, especially if you're a Magic Mike fan.
The cast has changed
Sorry, McConaugholics. The swaggering emcee Dallas doesn't make an appearance in XXL. Nor does Alex Pettyfer's "the Kid" (as if anyone's going to miss that freeloader).
Channing Tatum is still around given that he's the title character. And he's joined by the hard-bodied performers who barely spoke during the first movie. Now we get to know them better. Matt Bomer's Ken turns out to be a new-agey Reiki master who quotes Oprah. Tito (Adam Rodriguez) is an aspiring frozen yogurt artisan; the first movie's drug-dealing troublemaker, Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias), is no longer a problematic instigator. Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello) is just looking for that special someone who isn't scared off by his colossal manhood and Kevin Nash's Tarzan wants to be a painter.
They're joined by some new additions, including Jada Pinkett Smith, playing one of Mike's former flames, a crooning Donald Glover, a dancing Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Amber Heard as an aloof love interest and Andie MacDowell in the role of a delightfully dirty Southern belle.
Jada Pinkett Smith and Channing Tatum in a scene from Magic Mike XXL.
It's not a dark cautionary tale
Drugs caused big problems in Magic Mike. After the Kid misplaced a stash he was supposed to sell, Mike had to come to the rescue by draining his savings to pay off some dangerous guys. In XXL, a Molly trip leads to one of the most entertaining scenes in the movie. In other words, this isn't a story about consequences, unless those consequences are something we can all laugh about later.
There isn't a plot in the traditional sense
The story moves toward an end goal, sort of. The premise is that the guys have reunited on a road trip to Myrtle Beach for one last hurrah at an annual stripper's convention. After that, they plan to go their separate, less skin-baring ways. So they really have to make this count. That being said, this convention is hardly high stakes. It's not a competition, so much as another gig in a different part of the country.
Anyone waiting for some pay off finale in the vein of Pitch Perfect or even Bring It On is going to be frustrated both by the meandering path to get there and the less than transcendent nature of the climactic set piece. So keep in mind: This isn't a movie about the destination. It's more interested in the slow-moving journey where old buddies have lewd heart-to-hearts between squeal-inducing hip gyrations.
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss in a scene from the film Magic Mike XXL.
There isn't a script in the traditional sense
Reid Carolin, who wrote Magic Mike, also gets credit for the sequel. But the movie feels almost entirely ad-libbed, and not in a graceful way. The cast isn't exactly a collection of improv powerhouses.
The movie is the dance version of a musical
Magic Mike XXL exudes the absurd appeal of Mamma Mia! Its primary goal is to entertain, and every plot point drives us toward another show-stopping number. In musicals, it's both illogical and delightful to see two people randomly break into song. It's the same way in XXL when Mike is in his garage welding before getting inspired - by hearing Ginuwine's Pony - to shimmy around his machinery. This is dangerous, one half of your brain will say. So listen to the other half - the one prompting you to bob your head in time with the music while enjoying the view.
The cast of the film Magic Mike XXL.
XXL is relentlessly inclusive and positive
The movie is a buddy comedy about male bonding. But the guys aren't afraid to hang out at gay bars or sing the praises of women. Ladies are referred to as "queens," Mike uses the feminine pronoun to describe god and one of the male entertainers says the line "he's not showing you how beautiful you are" with a straight face. The women are various ethnicities, shapes and sizes. Sure, it might all be pandering to its target demographic - women and men who want to see scantily-clad muscle-bound Adonises - but it works!
Meanwhile, the big message of the movie is that we should all be following our bliss. Each of the characters envisions his future dream job, and the only way the guys can create a memorable final strip performance is to incorporate the things they love the most - painting, singing, what have you - into their routine. Even if that thing is frozen yogurt.
Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh gets a couple shout-outs
Soderbergh's frequent collaborator Gregory Jacobs took the reins for XXL, and he pays homage to his friend. At least, that's what it looks like. For one thing, the movie stars Andie MacDowell, whose big breakthrough performance was Soderbergh's Sex, Lies, and Videotape, in 1989.
Andie MacDowell in a scene from Magic Mike XXL.
And then there's the final shot of XXL. It looks an awful lot like Oceans 11 as the camera pans across the guys' faces while they watch fireworks.
The movie is ludicrously entertaining
For all its weirdly stilted dialogue and transparent pro-woman manipulations, the movie is both hilarious and endearing. The giddy chatter of movie-goers was nearly deafening after a recent screening.
Michael Strahan shows up in a metallic banana hammock
Forget all the rest - this tells you all you really need to know about the movie.
