Hocus Pocus 2

Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, Froy Gutirrez, Sam Richardson, Doug Jones, Tony Hale, Taylor Henderson, Hannah Waddingham
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Decades after their last attempt to break free, the Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) return to Salem.

Review:

Tim: It's interesting to me this trend of revisiting older movies with sequels, decades later. I this case, it's been nearly thirty years since the original Hocus Pocus was released. I'm sure others may not agree, but I generally like this trend. For movies that matter to people, the ones that are important, the ones that become cult classics, it can be great fun to revisit the characters after time has passed. It extends the life of the franchise, makes the characters' stories more closely mirror life. I'm actually a fan of this, when it's done right.

For the most part, I thought Anne Fletcher's Hocus Pocus 2 did things correctly. This sequel isn't as good as the original, but it extends the story without tarnishing the legacy of the original. It's more or less a carbon copy, true. But, it was updated for modern times and it was fascinating to see how much society has changed since 1993. For one thing, we actually have diversity in the cast here. That's a very good thing. Sarah Jessica Parker's wardrobe is more age-and-kid appropriate. The tone of the movie feels slightly more aimed at the proper demographic and while still a bit frightening at times, it's toned down significantly from the first film. Otherwise, the story is more or less the same. Some kids inadvertently bring back the Sanderson Sisters. They are bent on... something. Honestly, I struggled to remember from both films. Is it just to come back to life for more than one night? It's not world domination or city domination or anything like that? I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. They are bad and the kids are good and we want them to stop the nefarious sisters. This whole movie plays much like the first one- so it definitely taps into the nostalgia vein. It allows a more diverse cast to interact with the Sanderson sisters. It's all perfectly fine, mostly enjoyable.

This sequel feels like it achieved exactly what it set out to do. The film reminds viewers of the Sanderson Sisters and it delivers more of the same. It's all slightly less effective the second time around, but that doesn't mean Anne Fletcher delivers a bad movie. This is absolutely a good film. It's entertaining from start to finish. It's not overly long and it throws in a few minor twists to keep things interesting. I liked the movie and consider it a worthy sequel. It didn't take too many chances, but that is probably to be expected when resurrecting a three-decades dormant story.

I thought Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy gave strong performances in reprising their roles. The Sanderson Sisters have always been a bit loony and it was fun to see the three of them bring these characters back. They all seemed to genuinely enjoy their time together and that energy and fun shows up in their performances. Some of the jokes about technology landed really well, and Midler, Parker, and Najimy are more than happy to laugh at themselves. They definitely contributed to a large degree.

I thought Whitney Peak was solid in the main role. If you think back, outside of the Sanderson Sisters, the original cast wasn't very talented. So, while Peak didn't have a high bar to climb, she still gives a worthwhile performance. Belissa Escobedo felt too weak to me, though. She has a smaller supporting role, but the "friend" role needed to be more effective. I'm not entirely sure why she was cast. Lilia Buckingham was solid, but her role is far too limited. I really enjoyed Sam Richardson- his manic energy and comedic timing were huge boosts to this film. He's always a bit over-the-top with his performances, which fit in perfectly with the tone of this movie. I loved that Doug Jones got to reprise his role from the original- he's as good as he was back then. Tony Hale adds a great comedic supporting performance, I thought he worked really well here. It was fun to see Hannah Waddingham show up for a small role (spinoff for her character, anyone?). As a whole, the cast might not have been incredible, but they served the story well and offered up solid performances.

Hocus Pocus 2 works more often than it doesn't. It's not exactly an inspired sequel, but I think most fans of the original will enjoy this one. I hope it generated enough excitement to potentially conclude the trilogy. I think by taking a few chances and broadening the story, another entry could be really good. For what it's worth, this one is a rehash of the original, but it's still a solid, entertaining film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Hocus Pocus, A Wrinkle in Time