Magic Mikewas marketed as a naughty but fun girls’ night out, but the movie’s tone was far more melodramatic than advertised. Despite the franchise carrying a collective cultural memory of being a guilty-pleasure series targeting women in the vein ofFifty Shades of Grey, only the second of the three movies,Magic Mike XXL, truly lives up to its titillating reputation.Channing Tatum’s real life background as an exotic danceractually inspired the character of Magic Mike.
Steven Soderbergh directed the first and third movies in the franchise,Magic MikeandMagic Mike’s Last Dance. Soderbergh is known for his heist and crime films, most notably theOcean’strilogy. Soderbergh is not known for tapping into female desire. The posters forMagic Mikefeatured a shirtless Tatum with his cast mates, including Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomer, all bare-chested over a black background. This sexy visual gave moviegoers the sense they were buying tickets to a raunchy dance movie, butMagic Mike’s advertising misrepresented the film’s tone and intended audience.
Magic Mike Was Marketed As A Raunchy Comedy, But Only XXL Actually Lived Up To That
Thematic Disconnect Between The Magic Mike Trailers And Movie
Magic Mike’s advertising - which put shirtless male characters front-and-center -made its target audience clear. That, combined with the trailer highlighting Tatum’s dancing and flirtation with Cody Horn’s Brooke, was key to Magic Mike’s effort to appeal to female viewers. However,Magic Mikeis not the carefree dance movie it may have appeared to be, but a character study of Magic Mike trying to get out of the exotic dancing game.
Because Mike is so vocal about wanting to leave dancing behind, it clashes with the unapologetically raunchy tone that the marketing promised. The script about the pitfalls of the American Dream contrasts sharply with its marketing as a sexy romcom. The sequel,Magic Mike XXL, addressed fan enthusiasm for the dance sequences in the original movie by incorporating much more dancing and less plot,which helpedMagic Mike XXLbring in an overwhelmingly female audience.
In service of the tonal changes, Steven Soderbergh even stepped down from director for Magic Mike XXL, although he was still involved as cinematographer and editor.
ByMagic Mike XXL, Mike has successfully left dancing behind and opened his furniture store. Now more at peace with who he is, Mike can fully enjoy dancing, giving the audience permission to enjoy it too. Mike agrees to join his boys from Xquisite on one last adventure together, a road trip to a stripping convention. While Magic Mike was about the struggle to get away from dancing,Magic Mike XXLis about the confidence performing brings to the menand the joy it brings to the women they entertain.
Magic Mike’s Marketing Is Exactly What Channing Tatum’s Character Was Trying To Escape
Channing Tatum’s Character Is Trying To Leave Dancing In Magic Mike
Mike sees the world of exotic dancing as full of superficial, hollow pleasures. Mike yearns to be creative, and he expresses this desire inMagic MikeXXLwhen he encourages all the dancers to choreograph new, challenging routines instead of sticking with old standbys. ByMagic Mike’s Last Dance,Mike has evolved beyond his Kings of Tampaand is tempted back to the world of dance through the prestigious world of theater. Mike’s choreography is provocative for the London theater world, but tame compared to his routines at Xquisite back in Tampa.
Mike is frustrated with women objectifying him and expecting him to always be “Magic Mike” and never just Michael Lane.
Magic Mike’s marketing is exactly the type of reductive sexualizing that Mike is so frustrated by in the movie. While the script explores Mike’s dreams of opening his own business, the poster has him posing shirtless mid-move. Mike is frustrated with women objectifying him and expecting him to always be “Magic Mike” and never just Michael Lane.
Moviegoers were confused because the fun, dance-forward advertising did not reflect the gritty character study that wasMagic Mike. This was the exact type of stereotyping Mike Lane was trying to escape. Each film in the franchise is radically different in theme and cast, and even though the trilogy is remembered as a raunchy dance series, onlyMagic Mike XXLhas the naughty fun people ascribe toMagic Mike.
Magic Mike XXL
Cast
Magic Mike XXL is a comedy-drama film directed by Gregory Jacobs, with Channing Tatum returning as the titular Mike Lane. Following Mike’s retirement, his fellow dancers are now prepared to do the same three years after the first film’s events. However, they want to perform one last incredible performance in Myrtle Beach with the assistance of Mike himself. This time, the film contains all the dancing expected, with some other moments of fun and character development between the new and returning cast members.
