*Warning: May Contain Spoilers*
Disney kicked off spooky season in a big way with the release of Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+ on September 30. The new Disney film, directed by Anne Fletcher, is the sequel to the 1993 Halloween cult classic, Hocus Pocus.
The film brought back Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson. Along with Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson, these are the only cast members of the original film to make an appearance in the sequel.
The plot of the film is nothing to write home about. Similar to the original, the black flame candle is lit by a virgin and the sisters come back. Teenagers save the town’s children from death (with no adult help) and the witches turn to dust.
Where the first Hocus Pocus finds a truly scary trio in the child killing Sanderson Sisters of Salem, Massachusetts, its sequel is more scary in its attempt to retell the original story in a 2022 setting. Where the sisters’ confusion of new technology and overall lifestyle was commercial and understandable in 1993 (since they’d been dead for 300 years), it’s surprising that in 2022, they find themselves at a loss with basic technology, such as automatic doors and lights.
The film also falls down on character development for its new arrivals. Becca, who turned sixteen at the start of the film and played by Whitney Peak, is written as the stereotypical outsider who is made fun of by the more popular kids at school. Her best friend Izzy, played by Belissa Escobedo, provided some of the best comedic deliveries of the entire film, and should have been made the main character. Rounding out this new trio is friend turned enemy turned friend again Cassie, played by Lilia Buckingham, who found new friends with the popular crowd.
The only true character development in the film comes from Winifred Sanderson. The beginning of the film shows the sisters in 1650s Salem as young girls who are ostracized from the town. It gives good background into the tight Sanderson Sister bond the three share, which comes full circle at the end of the film when Winifred must make a big decision — her powers or her sisters.
Bette Midler once again delivers not one, but two musical performances alongside Najimy and Parker. While nothing will beat Midler’s classic cover of, “I Put A Spell On You,” her renditions of Elton John’s, “The Bitch Is Back” (changed to “Witch”), and Blondie’s, “One Way or Another,” are entertaining and well performed.
It wouldn’t be fair to completely bash on the new film because it did try. However, the lack of familiar faces of much of the original cast, such as Omri Katz, Thora Birch, and Vinessa Shaw was a big let down in the end. While certainly not the greatest film to ever grace the viewer’s eyes, it does have some well timed jokes and will bring a smile to the face of any fan of the Hocus Pocus franchise just by seeing the iconic trio back on the screen.
Overall, Hocus Pocus 2 is a fun watch, but not nearly as good as its predecessor. While it came out just in time for Halloween, the original Hocus Pocus will still remain the Halloween classic, watched time and time again.
