Hocus Pocus 2: I Put a Spell on You!

In 1993, a fun little Disney movie premiered about a boy who lights a black flame candle and reawakens three witches trying to steal youth from the children of Salem.  It is up to the boy and his friends to stop the sisters and save Salem.  The movie garnered a following, mainly because of it’s three stars who portrayed the Sanderson Sisters. Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah, Kathy Najimy as Mary and Bette Midler as Winifred.  Their performances were corny and over the top and instantly iconic. The movie has become a classic, loved by many, hated by some and it surprisingly took 29 years for a sequel to get made.

In Hocus Pocus 2, we first get to see the Sandersons as strange children in the early 1600s, and when the religious leader of Salem, Reverend Traske (Tony Hale) tries to separate the trio, they run into the forbidden forest and learn that they are witches and so begins the story of the most powerful coven ever!  Back in the present, a young woman turning 16, Becca (Whitney Peak) and her friends Issy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilla Buckingham) are tricked into bringing the Sanderson Sisters back and this time it isn’t just the children of Salem that need to worry, but Winnie wants to perform the forbidden spell that will make her all powerful and finally get her revenge on the descendants of Reverend Traske and all of Salem. Becca, Issy and Cassie must find a way to stop her.

Like most sequels of fan favorite movies, the new installment attempts to recapture the magic of the first film by reusing many of the same jokes and gags, and plot points which never has the same impact as the original.  It is not a bad film, and it is a lot of fun watching Sarah, Kathy and Bette camp around as the Sandersons again, and they are brilliant as always, but it just didn’t have the spark the first one did. There was something just a little off with the comic timing, making it a bit more difficult for the jokes to resonate with the audience. It is always hard to explain this to people, and it is one of my biggest issues with films, but the rhythm of the entire movie was just out of sync slightly, which prevented this from going from a good movie to an iconic classic like the first.   In addition, I had a slight issue with Becca played by Whitney Peak, she came across as just another teenager full of angst and not especially likeable in the beginning of the film.  We warm up to her as the movie progresses, but this hindered my connection to the character making it harder for me to care.

Honestly, all of these issues are minor.  Mainly, this is a fun frolic full of farce and frivolity.  It is campy and nostalgic just like it needed to be, and the musical numbers are well performed and showstoppers!  I do feel like they concluded the Sanderson Sisters storyline and although there is a sequel setup in an end credit scene, I sincerely hope that they don’t make it.  If they do, I feel like either they should not use the Sandersons or be brought back with a new twist.  Maybe a showdown between Mother Witch (Hannah Waddingham) and the sisters now fighting to protect Salem could be an interesting movie, for example.