Aging may have been the witches' worst enemy in the 1993 cult classic, but here, it doesn't stop the film's three stars from tapping into their inner divas in this direct-to-broadcast reunion.
What weird wizardry is this that "Hocus Pocus," a regular sitcom turned cheesy cult favorite starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the absolutely fabulous Salem witch sisters, should get a sequel nearly three decades later? since its launch in 1993? At the time, Variety speculated that if it weren't for the film's three stars, "'Hocus Pocus' wouldn't seem out of place on the Disney Channel, and perhaps it belongs there." In a sense, that's what happened with this follow-up, meant to breathe a little life into the graveyard that is Disney+.
The sequel's existence is due less to popular demand than to the realization that the film had tapped into tweens' fascination with witchcraft before Harry Potter came along. It can't be a coincidence that the new feature elevates much of his appearance from that franchise, with an eye of newt, a dead man's head, and some aspects of "The Craft" thrown in for good measure. In "Hocus Pocus 2," the three teenagers called upon to save Salem from the return of the Sanderson sisters are budding witches themselves, which means the film is not so much about scaring children away from magic as it is about satisfy their post-Potter fantasies of young wizards. .
Director: Anne Fletcher
Writers: Jen D'Angelo, David Kirschner, Blake Harris
Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Young'uns don't need to have seen the previous movie to figure things out, though it's just a click away on Disney+ if any of them are curious to see a classic that predates many of their parents. The original did a good job of wrapping up their story (the sisters were cast into oblivion when the sun rose on All Saints' Day), but also suggested that the sisters could be brought back to life quite easily, if a virgin lights a black-light. a candle on Halloween, and here, Becca (Whitney Peak) is tricked into doing just that by Gilbert (Sam Richardson), the owner of the magic shop that now operates out of the Sandersons' former home, where much of the film previous took place.
Before this simple spell can happen, though, director Anne Fletcher takes us back to Salem's beginnings to provide an origin story for the sisters. The Sandersons were "misunderstood" and "ahead of their time," the film explains, demonstrating a kind of double-talk that is perfectly consistent with the politics of the day. On the one hand, it implies that witchcraft charges are a tool the patriarchy has to keep independent women at bay; on the other, it allows women to be bona fide witches.
In the forest, they meet the Witch Mother, who senses her potential and bequeaths them the book that enables all her mischief, and which contains a spell that can make them all-powerful at great personal cost. The book has received a CG update here, which is a shame, as the animatronic eye embedded in the cover was a great old school gimmick. This hardcover catalog of spells always seemed to have a mind of its own and in Fletcher's hands, she feels less like a prop than a proper character.
Becca and her best friend Izzy discover that this Halloween, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), their childhood classmate, is throwing a house party without inviting them. The film misses the opportunity to offer a useful portrayal of the small divisions that separate old friends, while aiming to lecture audiences on the importance of loyalty and the dangers of selfishness. It's doubtful that such moral lessons are why anyone is watching "Hocus Pocus 2," which again blends Midler's hammy diva persona with details that feel almost too dark for a kids' movie.
That mix must be what endeared the original to so many back in the day. Frankly, its success has always been hard to explain, beyond the basic appeal of watching Midler, Parker and Najimy fight their way through reams of Victorian-style dialogue, full of words like "you" and "do." They're meant to be menacing, but instead they're cartoonishly broad: Winifred (Midler) with her lips pursed and a beaver overbite, Mary (Najimy) wide-eyed and talking out of the side of her mouth, and Sarah (Parker) damned to be a dumb blonde cliche.
Watch Hocus Pocus 2 2022 Movie Trailer
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