Hocus Pocus 2 Review: A Magical Reunion Whose Story Runs Amok
Considering the ways in which it has been dominating the Halloween season in recent years, it's hard to imagine that the original Hocus Pocus initially earned an underwhelming reaction from audiences. However, hitting theaters in the summer didn't do the spooky effort any favors, nor did debuting in the weeks following Jurassic Park's cinematic domination worldwide. Luckily, the film's frequent broadcasts on the Disney Channel and growing home video markets allowed the film to find its audience over the years, and now that this audience has started having kids of their own, each year sees the film's popularity only grow more passionate, to the point that we even get a sequel. Hocus Pocus 2 feels like catching up with old friends in all the best ways, reminding you of the emotional connection you have to the on-screen personalities and the many hours spent with them, but once that charm wears off, you forget why you reunited with them in the first place.
Much like the original film, this sequel sees a group of friends inadvertently lighting the Black Flame Candle on Halloween night, which causes witches Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) to come back to life to wreak havoc on the town of Salem. This time around, rather than merely trying to capture children to prolong their youth, they aim to cast a spell that will make them all-powerful, while teens Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) hope to put a stop to their schemes.
Despite 30 years having passed, Midler, Parker, and Najimy immediately showcase why they are all veritable superstars and how the Sanderson sisters have become seminal figures for the Halloween season. Their arrival in the film is followed shortly by the trio breaking out into song and embracing their beloved sisterly dynamic, feeling more like weeks have passed since they last played these characters as opposed to decades. It's clear that these performers love these figures as much as audiences do, effortlessly navigating the blend of humor and over-the-top horror inherent in power-seeking witches, with the material they are delivering also expertly leaning into their strengths. Midler, Parker, and Najimy may have had various reunions over the years honoring the film, but there's still nothing quite like seeing them breathe life into these villains for a new generation.
The Sandersons aren't the only returning characters, as Doug Jones also reprises his role of Billy Butcherson, who was relegated to performing wordless physical comedy in the debut film. Much like Billy himself, Jones hasn't missed a step and looks, sounds, and feels like he filmed the original just days prior.
The sequel doesn't entirely rest on its laurels of reminding you of the past, as newcomer Sam Richardson plays Gilbert, the owner of a magic shop that used to be the Sanderson homestead, who has an unexpected connection to the witches. As proven in Detroiters, Veep, Werewolves Within, and The Afterparty, Richardson is charming, endearing, and hilarious, managing to steal virtually every scene he's in -- which is especially impressive when going up against comedic heavyweights -- though does so without ever distracting from the comedic power of the Sanderson actors. Additionally, Tony Hale appears in dual roles and, similar to Richardson, commands the audience's attention every second he's on screen, eliciting laughs even just by waiting in line alone for a coveted candy apple.
It's clear that everyone involved in the project loves the material and honors it with enthusiasm and authenticity, avoiding any irony or sarcasm. For fans both new and old, there is immense delight and joy to be taken from the experience from start to finish. The whimsy of the film can only take it so far, though, as the film fails to deliver a story that's especially worthy of telling.
Much like the original film, Hocus Pocus 2 opens with a flashback, showcasing the Sanderson sisters as they become teens and are forced to adhere to the rules of their community. While this scene might have been merely an opportunity to explain how they became interested in witchcraft in the first place, it also comes with an air of empathy, hinting that they aren't necessarily evil so much as they are a product of their community. Given that the first film opened with them draining the life force from an innocent young girl and damning a boy to live a life inside of a cat, this flashback robs the Sandersons of their outright and cartoonish villainy. The sequence does highlight the relationships between the sisters, which will become a theme in the rest of the story, but it also complicates their nefarious motives. It might sound like an absurd statement to claim that Hocus Pocus 2 manages to tarnish the legacy of witches in a Disney movie, but this is merely one symptom of the deeper rot of this movie not quite knowing why it came into existence.
The creatives behind this sequel made it obvious ahead of time that they wanted to tell a story for a new generation as opposed to bringing back the heroes from the original film, and while Peak, Buckingham, and Escobedo are all delightful and entertaining to watch, the narrative structure makes it feel as though they are almost in an entirely different movie. The film seems more concerned with how Becca and Izzy had a mysterious falling out with Cassie than it is with the friends trying to thwart the witches, making the audience distracted by the source of the tension between the three characters we barely know. Their storyline also includes hints at other supernatural elements being at play, complicating their narrative even further. This attempt to balance honoring the past while forging a new path forward is the film's biggest failure.
The original film essentially had two narrative storylines: the heroes trying to stop the Sanderson sisters and the Sanderson sisters trying to capture the kids. These paths occasionally overlapped and we also sporadically saw some supporting characters appear, but the focus was on these two narrative paths. This sequel has not only the heroes trying to stop the villains and the villains trying to pull off their plan, but the teens also make detours about their friendship and the aforementioned falling out, as the story also devotes large chunks of time to Gilbert and Billy's own adventure, as well as Hale's mayor character just hoping to get his favorite dessert. Additionally, we still have to suffer through some of the Sanderson sisters' fish-out-of-water sequences reminiscent of the exact same scenes we saw in the original movie as they discover what life is like in 2022, from the low-hanging fruit of voice-activated devices to a relatively clever sequence featuring Roombas.
Even if audiences will be thrilled to see the Sanderson sisters brought to life with their original performers, along with fully enjoying the new additions to the ensemble and witnessing kooky and campy sequences, the actual inciting incidents of this sequel are confounding. The original film ended with a tease that the Sandersons' book of spells would outlive them, yet their resurrection in this adventure still centers around the Black Flame Candle. The characters don't feel like they have any unfinished business and instead feels like we could get an endless number of adventures featuring their return, so long as every movie opens with someone lighting the Black Flame Candle, to the point that it almost undercuts how fulfilling the conclusion of the original movie is. We're left wondering who this movie is for, as fans of the original will likely be excited to see the Sandersons return yet disappointed by familiar jokes or less connected to new heroes, while fresh fans won't be nearly as invested in seeing the Sandersons again.
Still, with the original Hocus Pocus script evolving over the course of a decade before the film finally landed in theaters, only to get stomped into oblivion upon official release, everyone involved in honoring the concept approached this sequel from a place of love and it's a joy to get to see these characters earn long-overdue praise. Midler, Parker, and Najimy are reveling in their return, deservedly so, while supporting characters also give the villains a run for their money. While many audiences will be bewitched by any adventure featuring the Sanderson sisters, others will recognize we've been given tricks disguised as treats.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Hocus Pocus 2 debuts on Disney+ on September 30th.