4 Reasons Magic Mike XXL Is Better Than Magic Mike

Updated on 7/4/2015 at 8:30 AM

Magic Mike XXL will make you feel, that's for sure, but if you saw the first movie, you'll probably also form an opinion over whether you like this installment better than the first. Sequels are rarely better than the originals, but I'd wager to say that Magic Mike XXL is the rare exception to that rule. Essentially, producer/star Channing Tatum and his producing partner and writer Reid Carolin really seemed to listen to the criticism of the first film to make volume two a bigger, badder version of the original ("It might be a little bit more up the alley of some things that people were expecting out of the first one," Tatum told us on a set visit last year). We have to say Magic Mike XXL does seem new and improved, and here's how.

The Tone

The biggest reason Magic Mike XXL is such an improvement: it's funny. It's not just a little lighter in tone, either; it's a full-on comedy. Joe Manganiello has described it as "a comedy in the vein of Animal House," which is a pretty staggering departure from the seedy, melodramatic world Steven Soderbergh showed us in 2012. That movie has its merits, but the levity is so much more fun for everyone.

The Focus Is on the Guys

On the set last year, Tatum said that his biggest regret was not focusing on the guys more in the first movie. Magic Mike XXL is all about the ensemble this time around, and not only is it funnier (see above), each actor gets to show off his strengths (vs. just his body parts). Like, who knew Joe Manganiello would be such a comedy powerhouse? Why wouldn't you let the adorable Matt Bomer do his thing? And not only that, but the guys are also on the road, which gives them something to do and moves the story right along. "It's a stripper odyssey," Tatum claimed, which is pretty much the perfect description of the movie.

There's an Emphasis on Women's Pleasure

In the first movie, there's a reach for depth, a pretentious need to prove that this movie isn't just a movie about male strippers. And yet, there exists no moment where any of the guys wonder why they do this. In fact, Mike is all about how he does it for himself, busting out his most innovative dance when he's rebelling against Dallas. But in Magic Mike XXL, it's clear: they love dancing to please women. Yes, they still do it for themselves, but at every turn, women's pleasure is emphasized. Jada Pinkett Smith's character has a business devoted to giving women what they want, referring to her clientele as "queens." Donald Glover's character has a whole monologue about just asking women what they want. The guys even have a faux therapy session with several older women, imploring them to tell them their problems and let them help. The first movie is already progressive in its almost-exclusive objectification of male bodies (though there is a pair of bare breasts it loses points for), but Magic Mike XXL wins more points for its worship of women.

The Dancing Is Better

Even though Channing Tatum insisted he'd never top "Pony," his big solo in the first movie, I have to disagree with him. While there felt like more group dances in the original film, Magic Mike XXL is more about the solos (or the duos, if we're talking about Tatum and tWitch's final dance). And each one is special: Mike reprises "Pony" in a more creative way, Ken incorporates singing into stripping, BDR takes "Marry You" to "Closer" in a scorching-hot routine, and the aforementioned "Mirror Dance" is the movie's crown jewel. (Not to mention that impromptu drag show!) There could have been more dancing, but the dancing we get is quality.