Magic Mike XXL

Stars: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover, Gabriel Iglesias

Director: Gregory Jacobs

The Tampa Kings, those male strippers from Magic Mike, are back. And, even more than in the first film, what you see is what you get. This slightly belated sequel ditches Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer and all semblance of a plot (not that there was much in the first place), and just puts the boys through their paces.

It's three years on, and Mike (Tatum), now a joiner, gets a yen to rejoin the abs-heavy lads on a final fling, putting on a show in Miami. And that's about it: there's a new squeeze for Mike in the form of Zoe (Heard), whom he meets on the beach and melts her heart with such sympathetic chatlines as 'Some asshole in Miami stole your smile and you want it back.'

And there's some new routines from the Kings, in front of an audience of squealing, dollar-throwing women, as they go into their familiar pattern of bump, grind and simulated sex.

When it comes to acting sparkle, however, the boys are easily outscored by the girls, notably by Pinkett Smith as their fast-talking emcee and by MacDowell, enjoying herself as a rasp-tongued and distinctly faded southern belle more redolent of gin than magnolia blossom.

The film is what it is: if you think you'll enjoy it, then you probably will.

David Quinlan

USA 2015. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour by Fotokem.
115 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 1, Swearing 3.

Review date: 29 Jun 2015