come anticipate channing tatum as magical michael in MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE (2023)

loved this, could not be more different than xxl though

all three are different from each other and that rules

this is the first one that doesn’t set up Mike with emotional and career aspirations at the start, and the first one that ends up being about him

third-best bit was when the call from ‘Big 🍆 Richie’ came up on Mike’s phone and a woman in front of me yelled “ANSWER IT!!”

this is a good time at the movies. not anything transcendent like XXL, but benefits from that one's quality and character work, establishing a world and a set of values so thoroughly that i don't have to really even see scenes between the characters to trust that Magic Mike did all right by everybody. it's like Christopher Reeve as Superman at this point.

so basically a victory lap and a fun one, depending where you land on the Hayek character and some of the other stock elements.

don't remember XXL very well but yeah loved this, the most enjoyable Monday matinee I can imagine. Hayek is great, when does the Oscar buzz start?