“Hocus Pocus 2” Review
Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker reprise their roles as the now iconic Sanderson Sisters in “Hocus Pocus 2,” the sequel to the cult classic children’s film.
The Witch is back and yes they do use that pun in the film. Nearly 30 years after “Hocus Pocus” was released and slowly became a cult classic, a sequel film has arrived for streaming on Disney+. But while “Hocus Pocus” has evolved to become a staple of October 31st, the sequel falls short of its predecessor making for a dull experience while having some moments of that old magic.
Set decades after the first film, a young teenager named Becca (Whitney Peak) is obsessed with magic and tales of witchcraft since she was born on Halloween. When another Halloween arrives, Becca and her friends accidentally summon the three Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker) back from the grave. With the witches hell bent on using their magic to become the most powerful beings on the planet, Becca and her friends must stop the Sandersons and save the town of Salem before the sun rises.
On paper, it might seem strange to make a sequel to “Hocus Pocus” because it actually wasn’t a hit film. A lot of people forget that when the film was released in 1993, it underperformed at the box office (maybe because some schmuck at Disney thought it was a good idea to release the film in July). It took years of the film playing on cable every Halloween for an audience to be found which resulted in the massive cult following the film has today.
While I was part of the first generation to be raised with this film, I don’t think it’s perfect. The teenage characters were pretty bland and the pacing was all over the place. However, I believe there are two very good reasons why the original film has lasted for so long: the actors playing the Sandersons and the atmosphere. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker gave all of their energy to these roles and really gave the film its charm. “Hocus Pocus” also has a beautiful look to it that instantly reminds you of Halloween. How can you not be sucked into the holiday by watching that film?
I say all of this because that same warmth and energy is drastically reduced in “Hocus Pocus 2.” The Witches are still charming and are easily the best part of the film. All three of these women are clearly enjoying reprising their roles and their antics did get quite a few laughs out of me. The film even spends its first five minutes diving into their backstory and why they became witches.
And if you wanted to see something new from this film, you really should relish the first five minutes because the rest of the film follows the same formula as the first film: boring teenagers are going through boring teenage stuff, they resurrect the witches who try to kill them and/or become marveled by the modern world and hijinks ensue.
I wouldn’t mind the repetition so much if the teenage characters were the least bit interesting but they’re not. There’s no life in them. The original protagonists of “Hocus Pocus” weren’t anything special but at least they had an occasional line that worked and some memorable moments. Plus the supporting characters like Binx the talking cat (Jason Marsden) and Billy Butcherson the zombie (Doug Jones) were memorable.
I was surprised because there’s a lot to do with kids who are obsessed with magic. You could give them the energy and nerdiness of the kids from “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” or “Stranger Things.”
There are even supporting characters from this film which are more interesting than the actual protagonists. One of them is Gilbert (Sam Richardson), the owner of a magic shop who is obsessed with the Sandersons and has all of the qualities that I wanted in the film’s protagonists. The “mother” of the Sandersons (Hannah Waddingham) who teaches them magic was also a fun character but she’s only in the film for a minute. You have Hannah Waddingham, an Emmy-award winning actor, and you only use her for a minute?
It just seems to me that there was an opportunity with this sequel to fix the problems of the previous film and create something really entertaining for Halloween. “Hocus Pocus 2” failed to take that opportunity. On top of that it doesn’t even have that same warm fall atmosphere that made the original so comforting. Part of the reason I watch “Hocus Pocus” every year is just to get in the mood for the spooky season but its sequel doesn’t even have that going for it.
Despite my problems with the film, I still enjoyed watching Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker return to these roles and there were moments where I was having fun. So if you want to see your favorite witches having a blast, you’ll get it but I don’t think you’ll be rewatching this film every year.
