A year ago, I wrote an article all about the camp and spooky masterpiece that is the original Hocus Pocus film. So when Disney+ delivered Hocus Pocus 2 to us this Halloween season, it was my Her Campus duty to write a review. Slight spoilers ahead, but if you haven’t watched it yet (or even seen the first one), I would encourage you to go enjoy those.
The 2022 sequel to the 1993 film reunites Bette Middler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Doug Jones in their original roles as the Sanderson Sisters and Billy Butcherson. The Witches return to present-day Salem after 29 years and aim to get revenge on the town and its children.
So what makes it work?
Making a sequel including the original actresses was the absolute best move: no one could have played the Sisters in a remake. Although we didn’t see the return of beloved characters Dani, Max, Allison, or Thackery Binx, so much of the magic from the original still came through.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the opening in old Salem following the three young Sisters, and the actresses playing Winifred, Mary, and Sarah were adorable and totally encapsulated the Witches’ mannerisms and charisma. The switch to modern-day Salem introduces two teenage girls getting ready to do a yearly birthday witch ritual. Becca gets a candle from the magic museum (and former Sanderson Sister house) owner, Gilbert, on her 16th birthday. This isn’t the same black flame candle from the original, but there’s a good callback joke to how that candle works.
When Becca and her friend Izzy light the new candle in the woods, we get one of the best dramatic film character entrances and are immediately thrown back into our childhood memories of watching Bette, Kathy, and Sarah light up our screens. Winifred Sanderson’s “Lock up your children! Yes Salem, we’re back!!” is perfect. I believe the movie understands how much we love the Witches and Billy, gives them the fantastic entrances they deserve, and shines a spotlight on them throughout the rest of the film. The three actresses seem to come right out of the first one with their lines and facial expressions. Winifred is leading their coven, Mary has her signature mouth dip, and Sarah is hilariously dimwitted.
If the actresses had played down their roles at all, the movie would not have worked. We know that the original is fun and campy and the direction and writing of the 2022 Sisters doesn’t take away their original 1993 cheesiness. Along the lines of the time change, Hocus Pocus 2 deserves a lot of credit for actually delivering on modern jokes and references when the Witches are adjusting to the 21st century. Their comedy and chemistry was perfect in the Walgreens scene, believing “lotions” to be “potions,” and their surprised reactions to automatic doors and an Alexa device wasn’t forced.
The film does a near-perfect job of playing homage to its ancestor without relying too much on fan service. There are callbacks to the best lines in the first one (“Amuck!”), but it creates its own new iconic moments. The physical comedy that the women and Doug Jones perform helps them deliver in every scene. I am very happy that they did a new song and dance for the town without just redoing “I Put a Spell on You,” and the actresses looked like they were having so much fun in their rendition of “One Way or Another!” The enchanted townspeople doing choreography in the street was a great addition! I think some of the most outstanding new comedic bits include Mary’s Roombas, the Walgreens scene, and Tony Hale’s role as Mayor Traske because he fit right into the zany energy of the film.
But what holds the film back?
Unfortunately, it is an almost impossible feat for any young actor to hold a flame next to some of the best comedic actresses on screen or be better than the original kids. I think Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo were good actresses, but their scenes just didn’t have as much heart or magic as the original. I personally believe that their reactions to Witches returning from the dead and getting new magic powers were a bit subdued, so the energy levels of the Sanderson Sisters totally outmatched the teenagers. However, I hope to see the young actors in new projects after this one. Billy playing carnival games was also fun to watch, but the duo of Gilbert and him was a little odd and could’ve been more fun, especially if it was Billy running around with a kid excited to be with a zombie.
Finally, I didn’t think the ending stuck the landing. Mary and Sarah’s last moments in the forest were brilliant but I wish Winifred was more like the character we’ve seen with her reaction and ending. I personally don’t need to see Winifred have a redemption arc with these girls that feel removed from the story. But I do appreciate the message of sisterhood and magic.
Hocus Pocus holds a special place in my heart year round, not just Halloween, and I love how amazing Better Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker were in this reunion: their joy and love for their characters absolutely sold their performances. I don’t think I can say that any part of the movie outdoes the first, but I hope Hocus Pocus 2 shows movie makers that a sequel can be done WELL while using casts and premises from the original or without entirely rebooting beloved movies.
