(Warning! For Those Who Haven’t Seen the Sequel Yet, Expect Spoilers in This Review)
It’s been four weeks since the premiere of Disney’s 1993 Hocus Pocus sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, aired on Disney Plus. I’ll be honest, when it comes to sequels to stand alone movies I’m usually skeptical because only a rare few have been hits and others have been misses. So, when I first heard about Hocus Pocus getting a second movie, I was off put at first, but I gave it a shot.
For those who’ve watched the beloved Halloween classic, our most favorite characters are the trouble trifecta themselves, The Sanderson Sisters! Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker return to their roles as the fabulously evil witches we know and love and sometimes fear. Before we get to them I’d like to briefly discuss the young girls who played their younger selves in the film’s beginning. The film opens with the sisters in their childhood, youths ostracized and nearly torn apart by Salem’s townspeople for their abnormalities which they deemed wicked and evil. They then escape deep into the woods where their eventual home is in the first film. Then they meet with Mother Witch, played by Hannah Waddingham, who saw great potential in the sisters and gifted Winnie with the infamous spell book from the first film. Afterwards, they began their reign of terror by taking revenge on the reverend who tried to split the sisters by using the book. Newcomer actresses Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Juju Journey Brener, brought spectacularly familiar humor and chemistry of the villainess Sanderson witches while the added backstory provided depth to their strong sisterly bond that makes them sympathetic and relatable.
Now for the adult sinister siblings we know and love. From Spider-Man: No Way Home to Cobra Kai, actors and actresses who’ve reprised their past roles not only brought wonderful nostalgia to their characters, but gave them so much more depth and development that made fans who first saw their character’s debut love them even more.
Star Studded actresses Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker are no exception as when their characters make their big return, they didn’t miss a beat! They still play their playful, squabbling, fish out of water evil selves with all the humor and magic only they can pull off for their vivacious villainesses. Of course we can’t forget their other magical talent of music. Their resurrection went off with a bang with their rendition of Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back”, rentitled, “The WItches Are Back” pulling out the usual Sanderson Sisters flair. Their other rendition of Blondie’s “One Way or Another,” during the Halloween costume contest scene brought fond memories of their “I Put a Spell on You” performance from the first movie. Although the new musical number doesn’t have the same vibe as the original, it was still fun and enjoyable to watch and rewatch as they really let loose their witchy diva power upon Salem’s new generation.
As I previously mentioned about reprised character growth, the added backstory from the film’s opening added much weight to the sister’s characters in the present. When Sarah and Mary gained their newfound powers, Winnie being Winnie once again bullies her sisters to maintain their focus. The new twist to their dynamic was seen in Sarah, who’s usually the ditzy free spirited one in the group, used her magic to demand Winnie’s attention and respect after years of pushing her around, both figuratively and literally. The moment of course was brief, but it was nice to see at least either Sarah or Mary to tell off their bossy big sister. Speaking of WInifred, out of all the sisters Winifred is the most determined, power hungry, and evil in the trio. However, her one redeeming quality is her love for her sisters. Despite her constant bullying and irritation towards them, she loves her sisters unconditionally, so much she was willingly ready to give up her magic and life after losing them from the cost of the Power Spell.
Another highlight to the film’s humor and nostalgia were Sam Richardson as Gilbert and Doug Jones’s reprising role as Billy Butcherson. These two were a comedy duo I never knew I needed! Some missteps are the chemistry and subplot of another three new coming actresses, Whitney Park as Becca, Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, and Lilia Buckingham as Cassie Traske. Though these young ladies gave strong performances for their characters, unfortunately their lack of chemistry and weak subplot failed to capture my attention like the film’s protagonists Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and supporting characters Vinessa Shaw, Sean Murray (Thackery Binx actor), and James Marsden (Thackery Binx voice actor).
Despite some missteps, this sequel is definitely worth the watch for past, present, and future fans who’ll enjoy the Halloween vibe, gut busting funny comedy, bopping music, and the power of sisterhood.