I don’t have a strong record of enjoying the past movies in this franchise… I wanted to like the first one but didn’t. And the second just double-down on the skeevy bump ‘n grind… but who am I to complain? The flicks weren’t meant for me and my random latent prudish opinion of hot dudes rubbing their crotches on women (a feeling I have when its female strippers too, to be fair). So of course I rushed out to see the third movie… and color me surprised: I enjoyed it.

The flick returns to Channing Tatum’s Mike who’s furniture business failed due to Covid. But when he encounter Salma Hayek, she invites him to London to direct a stage play/dance revue… featuring hot male dancers.

I enjoyed this one because it was more about the production of the stage play and for having Mike be a fish out of water among the cultured Brits. Hayek has a daughter who has moxie with whom he plays off against well. Plus there’s a stuffy butler who doesn’t really want to call him Mike.

None of the new dancers get any plot… this is mainly the story of Mike trying to accomplish something and Salma Hayek’s character bankrolling him. This isn’t an amazing take on dance and accomplishing your goals, but it’s still solid .

I also enjoyed it more because the down ‘n dirty grindy dance scenes are kept to a minimum (comparatively… there’s still enough to give sensitive viewers the vapors). Many of the dance numbers are are simply very impressive “normal” dance numbers by some, yes, very hot dudes. They *gasp* even include one or two ladies in the revue (scandalous!).

So I enjoyed Magic Mike’s Last Dance… it’s got some impressive dance routines, a couple of genuine sexy ones, and a handful of skeeve. It’s plot is overall better in that it’s more about something than the previous ones (as memory serves). It’s not amazing… unless your counting the six packs on display… but it’s solid and reasonably entertaining.

Score: 81