The men behind the new 'Magic Mike' movie aim for feminist and funny. Mostly, they miss

For a decade now, the “Magic Mike” franchise has been all but shouting “This one’s for the ladies!” by featuring male strippers who grind and hip-thrust to the delight of straight female spectators.

Its third installment, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” is not much different. Except this time, the plot is driven by women.

Supposedly.

By attempting a feminist angle, the story about what’s happened to “magic” Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) is trying to keep up with the times. And its effort shows. I guess that’s what will happen when the director, writer and all but one producer are all men.

Billed as a musical comedy, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” should be a lighthearted Valentine’s Day/Super Bowl weekend watch. Unfortunately, it’s not funny in the ways it expects to be — unless it’s something that involves the delightfully dry butler, Victor (Ayub Khan Din).

On the bright side, if you’re expecting more of the original magic, this installment and its choreography will not disappoint. And yes, Ginuwine's "Pony" is back.

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‘Magic’ Mike’s dancing days aren’t behind him for long

In the seven years since we last saw him in “Magic Mike XXL,” Mike has — gasp — stopped dancing. He is bartending for wealthy (almost) divorcee Maxandra Mendoza’s (Salma Hayek Pinault) fundraiser when he receives an offer that’s hard to refuse.

Turns out, Max’s offer of $60,000 is enough to bring back “magic” Mike’s shirtless undulations and simulated sex acts. “Last Dance” doesn’t make you wait long to see Tatum in action; that much can be said about it. After a lengthy private dance, it seems that Mike must have exhausted every position one can thrust from.

They finally fall into bed together, and Mike is decent enough to turn down the payment. By the next morning, the charming Max has convinced him to come home with her to London, where a mysterious business opportunity awaits him.

Agreeing to work strictly as colleagues, they arrive at The Rattigan theater, where Max has been inspired to modify the beloved play “Isabela Ascendant” into a stage production that would horrify the social circles of the media mogul husband with whom she’s separated.

Naturally, this entails bringing some of Mike’s magic to the stage.

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Is ‘Magic Mike’ feminist now?

This time around, the women have a say in the entertainment that Mike — who’s now a stage director — is creating.

As he choreographs their troupe of European dancers, Max chastises him, “They can’t just start dancing!” This creative input is less than welcome, it seems — but, well, she’s the boss.

Between feedback from the show’s star, Hannah (Juliette Motamed), and a challenge from Max’s teenage daughter, Zadie (Jemelia George) to overhaul “Isabela Ascendant’s” “painfully misogynistic” third act, Mike has his hands full.

He instructs the dancers that seeking permission is the sexiest thing they can do for a woman while performing. Their job is to help these presumably cisgender and heterosexual women go after what they want.

Not a novel concept in 2023, but sure.

And that’s what Max is modeling here: doing what she wants despite the prenuptial agreement-dictated gilded cage she lives in as the estranged wife of a wealthy and powerful man. Which, by the way, it’s disappointing to find out early on that Max’s wealth is not her own. She’s only free in so far as what she’s doing is within the confines of what her husband’s family deems proper.

Max is an eccentric and ruthless businesswoman who deftly navigates bureaucratic backdoors and finds union loopholes that allow her to put on her new production without financial penalties. Which is more than I’d expected from a “Magic Mike” movie, I suppose.

Though Mike is directing the play, the women are leading the way, this movie seems to be insisting.

But, at the same time, what we see in Max and Mike’s will-they-or-won’t-they relationship and “Isabela Ascendant” 2.0’s message, is all that straight women want is male companionship.

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Don’t think too deep

It’s better to not look so deep into the messaging of “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.”

Just sit back and enjoy the talented, though homogenous-looking, dancers. And a stunningly climactic choreography sequence involving Tatum and a ballerina (Kylie Shea) that would be the visual highlight of the film, if not for those flashbacks to scenes we’d witnessed only a little over an hour prior.

I’ll give them this, too: For once, Mike is performing with a woman rather than for her. Behold, the character development.

Call it “Magic Mike: International Edition.” Or “Magic Mike: More Magic, More Mike.” But “Last Dance?” Seems unlikely.

'Magic Mike's Last Dance' 3 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Steven Soderbergh.

Cast: Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ayub Khan Din, Jemelia George.

Rating: R for sexual material and language.

Note: In theaters Feb. 10.

Reach Entertainment Reporter KiMi Robinson at kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Review: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' isn't feminist or funny