1 / 4

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from "Magic Mike XXL," in theaters on July 1. (Claudette Barius/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

AP, Warner Bros. Pictures

2 / 4

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Channing Tatum in a scene from the film, "Magic Mike XXL," in theaters on July 1. (Claudette Barius/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

AP, Warner Bros. Pictures

3 / 4

This photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, Elizabeth Banks, from left, as Paris, Channing Tatum as Mike, Adam Rodriguez as Tito, Donald Glover as Andre, Kevin Nash as Tarzan, Joe Manganiello as Richie and Jada Pinkett Smith as Rome, in Warner Bros. Pictures', "Magic Mike XXL," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Claudette Barius/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

AP, Warner Bros. Pictures

4 / 4

This photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, Joe Manganiello, from left, as Richie, Jada Pinkett Smith as Rome, in Warner Bros. Pictures', "Magic Mike XXL," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Claudette Barius/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

AP, Warner Bros. Pictures

❮ ❯

“Magic Mike XXL” gives you what it thinks you want from frame one, but its uneven tone, lousy dialogue, and sad characters bring down what was meant to be a high time, to say nothing of its amateurish execution.

No, let’s say something about it. Gregory Jacobs is known more for his assistant directing than anything else, and his directorial style shows it, recalling mostly Kevin Smith from his “Clerks” days: overly wide shots that linger for an overly long period of time. I found myself looking around the frame, wondering if I was supposed to pick something up at the edges (other than the actors being cut in half by awkward framing), but no; these were just really wide shots sitting onscreen for a really long time, and for no discernible reason.

It didn’t help that much of the lighting was bad, as night and interior sequences were so dimly lit that you could barely see the faces of the actors. Finally, the audio was noticeably subpar in spots, as though they employed just one boom for a whole ensemble cast of characters. You may have to really tune in to pick out some of the dialogue.

Luckily the dialogue is not really worth your effort. Most of it dwells on the immature kiss-and-tell of a high school senior, dripping with entendre and spiked with more F-bombs than three “Hangover” movies.

But the whole set up is inadvertently hilarious, as budding entrepreneur and ex-stripper Mike (Channing Tatum) thinks he’s out of the stripping business, but they (very easily) pull him back in for one last caper, complete with a stripping competition at the end that may just be their financial swansong.

Strangely, this later is revealed to be no competition at all, so there’s no fiscal prize to be gained, and no way to win, really; so what’s the point?

Not that the core audience will care about such things, since they were here to flip the script on Hollywood as usual and see well-built men strip for them. But the filmmakers thought that getting to know them first would be a good idea (it wasn’t), and so as foreplay, the audience will be treated to lots of depressing backstory regarding just how unemployable and dense our gallery of male entertainers are, and so stripping is really all they have. Weeeee! Way to spoil the fantasy; try and see that guy as nothing more than a sex object when you know his sad tale of woe.

But if you can forget how pathetic these guys really are, you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy a few of the striptease routines on display, such as B.D Richie’s (Joe Manganiello) confidence-building bluster in a convenience store, and the third act’s personalized individual routines. But most of the stuff in between is either strangely serious or unwelcome dialogue — other than the snappy banter between Tatum and Zoe (Amber Heard). Her final response to Mike’s brand of magic delivers much of the light-heartedness nearly missing from its first two acts. Whoever thought Jada Pinkett Smith’s phony and unlikable mistress Rome would be an asset was dead wrong, and the scenes in her house of ill repute recall “Eyes Wide Shut” with a bunch of ludicrous pop-psychology platitudes about women being queens — or something.

But man, can Tatum dance. He’s really what the audience is here for, as the whoops and screams at his every move will attest. Too bad much of the movie surrounding him is embarrassing and cheesy, and taking itself way too seriously for what is essentially a road-trip flick with strippers on last wild ride. But when your stripper-training montage involves — sewing! And stitching! Then you haven’t quite taken all of the fun out it — just enough for it to be meh instead of magic.

REVIEW

• THE FILM: `Magic Mike XXL'
• CRITIC RATING: **1/2
• STARRING: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Donald Glover.
• BEHIND THE SCENES: A lot of folks from the first film won’t be returning for the second. Alex Pettyfer is not returning to reprise his role as the kid, and Cody Horn is not returning to reprise her role as Brooke.
• PLAYING: Layton 9, Megaplex 13, Cinemark Farmington, Layton Tinseltown, Newgate Tinseltown, Megaplex 14, Walker 8.
• MPAA RATING: Rated R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use. 115 minutes.