Disney+ “Hocus Pocus 2” - Movie Review
After nearly 30 years of waiting, we have finally received the sequel to the Halloween classic, “Hocus Pocus.” The return of the iconic trio, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, is definitely one that could be forgotten. With the predictable plotline and forced humor, the creators of the original movie should have quit while they were ahead.
The movie starts off strong with a flashback from the Sanderson sister’s youth. The young actors portrayed the current day witches perfectly. The mole, the buck teeth and the curls all made their way into the child actors' appearances, giving the viewers an accurate glimpse into the sisters’ childhood.
In the opening scene we see Winnie, the oldest Sanderson sister, storm through the door of her childhood home in utter distress. Since the Sanderson parents had recently died, the reverend explained that it was time for Winnie to grow up and get married. Refusing to even fancy the idea, Winnie took her two sisters and ran away from their sheltered town.
On the sisters' journey to find a new life, they come across an intriguing witch in the woods. The witch gave them an interesting spell book with a real eye on the front. The sisters tried their hand in some of the spells, fell in love and the rest is history.
The movie then flashes forward to present day in Salem, Massachusetts which is where the movie goes downhill.
The plot focuses on high school friends: Becca, Izzy and Cassie. The scene begins with the girls preparing for Becca’s birthday on Halloween. In the spirit of both occasions, Becca and Izzy go to their local magic store where they buy a candle that supposedly has powers.
That night, Becca and Izzy venture into the woods to test out the candle’s magnitude. Immediately after lighting the candle, the flame grows and the Sanderson sisters return!
The preface of the movie is based on Becca, Izzy and Cassie attempting to save themselves and their town from the wrath of the Sanderson sisters.
The acting in this movie was definitely a let down. The Sanderson sisters showing their culture shock to the 21st century world was slightly embarrassing to watch. The attempted humor was forced and many scenes were drawn out for too long.
In a few scenes, the Sanderson sisters would break out into song which made no sense towards the plot and confused viewers.
The acting from characters Izzy, Becca and Cassie was also average. There was nothing bad about the young actors' performances, but there also was no wow factor for viewers to rave over. Their performances could be compared to teenage actors on children's TV shows based on networks such as Disney or Nickelodeon.
While the acting was all around average, the costuming of the Sanderson sisters stood out among other things in the movie. The capes, the contrasting colors, the crazy hair styles and so much more all helped to recreate the iconic Sanderson sister image.
All in all, “Hocus Pocus 2” was a valiant attempt at following a Halloween classic almost three decades later. The original “Hocus Pocus” movie is so loved by Spooky Season lovers alike that any movie attempting to follow it would be seen as a let down.
This movie is worth the watch if you are a die hard “Hocus Pocus” fan or you are all encompassed by the characters. If viewers are looking for a lighthearted Halloween movie to watch over a pumpkin spice latte, then this movie could be for you!
Rating: 2/5
Carly Dell’Oso is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ced5690@psu.edu.
