Magic Mike’s disastrous furniture deal appears to have found its muse in a sloppy Paul Rudd rom-com

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures

Warning: The article contains minor spoilers for Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

The half-naked boys are back out there on the stage shaking it for the crowd Magic Mike’s Last Dance teases being the final part of the franchise. After just a day’s release, the film reminds a very discerning fan of a deal Paul Rudd ran in an old movie he was in almost a decade ago.

Played by Channing Tatum, Mike Lane is a retired stripper who finds his way back into business after his furniture business fell apart during the pandemic. The first film, starring Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganello and Matthew McConaughey, sees Magic Mike trying to raise money to open a furniture store but falling short. In the second film, he finally has his business, but things aren’t going well. By the time Magic Mike’s Last Dance rolls in, Mike has already lost his business.

Magic Mike’s failing furniture business reminds some discerning movie buffs of Paul Rudd’s 2014 film They came together.

In it, Paul Rudd plays the role of Joel, a company henchman sent to shut down Molly’s Mom and Pop candy store. Molly is played by the hilarious Amy Poehler in this romance parody. They end up together and he opens a cafe next door to the candy store he was supposed to close. To add to the humor, this isn’t really the ending as another layer of the ending is revealed – that Molly and Joel didn’t work out and neither did the cafe.

Sounds a lot like the half-hearted plan Channing Tatum’s character had for his business aspirations from day one, right?

Well, Reddit member DeBatton pointed out the same thing. “Mike’s furniture business seems to be constantly failing and needs to be restarted. I’m beginning to think he had the same half-hearted business plan as Paul Rudd’s dream coffee shop They came together.”

Although the rom-com wasn’t exactly a box office hit, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, with an IMDb score of 5.7/10 and a Tomatometer score of 46%, there isn’t much in terms of competition. And while Mike seems to share the same number of brain cells as Paul Rudd’s character, some would prefer the latter rather than watch the retired male stripper’s saga continue.