‘Hocus Pocus 2’ overview: Cheeky, nostalgic, and virtually magic

Broom, ho! The lengthy awaited sequel to 1993’s Hocus Pocus is right here, and it’s a wickedly enjoyable nostalgia journey, one which’s seen us gentle many a Black Flame Candle to result in its triumphant return.

With Anne Fletcher directing and Jen D’Angelo writing the script for David Kirschner and Blake Harris spooky Disney story, they’ve brewed up a wonderfully spellbinding sequel, resurrecting our favorite melodramatic, witchy sisters with sensible fashionable dialogue, old-school spooky particular results, and completely potent new additions that deliver the beloved Halloween traditional into 2022. 

Hocus Pocus 2‘s narrative follows the unique’s essential breadcrumbs faithfully, with executed witches The Sanderson Sisters by chance resurrected once more with the lighting of the Black Flame Candle, 29 years after Max, Allison, and a tiny, sassy Thora Birch did it in 1993. The witches’ mission? To suck the lives out of the youngsters of Salem earlier than dawn, after all, in any other case, it is curtains! They evaporate! They stop to exist! 

And oh, by Lucifer’s hangnail, is it good to have them again.

Come, sis-ters!

The one manner a reboot of a ‘90s nostalgic movie like Hocus Pocus would work is that if the unique leads have been absolutely dedicated, and on this case, the core trio don’t disappoint. Because the omnipotent Sanderson sisters, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker decide up proper the place they left off nearly 30 years in the past, stepping again into their iconic witches’ robes with all of the glow of a Sanderson calming circle. Basically, they appear like they’re having an absolute blast.

Midler’s elegant Shakespearian melodrama as Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson is again in supercharged type, wide-eyed, open-clawed, bellowing “Lock up your youngsters!” and customarily abusing the crap out of her sisters identical to previous instances.

Najimi hilariously barks and sniffs her manner proper again to her beloved function as Mary Sanderson, searching youngsters along with her nostril, making fixed witchy wisecracks, and threatening to lovingly fricassee children. When Najimi holds up a face masks as “the face of a kid” after which eats it, I cackled like a Sanderson sister.

And as for Parker, we’re not often handled to an SJP slapstick comedic function, and she or he jumps proper into Sarah Sanderson’s dramatically attractive silliness, consistently lacking the purpose of a job, and at all times seeming like she’s suppressing a screamy giggle whereas fawning over boyyyys. 

The method continues to be perfection: Winnie booming operatic statements whereas Mary overanalyses the element and Sarah misunderstands the overall level, all awash in superb bodily slapstick comedy magic. Like the unique, the trio ship choreographed spell-casting, a number of Little Store of Horrors-worthy musical numbers, and melodramatic sobbing circles with the crackling vitality the movie hinges on. As Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) says in awe at one level, “I actually can’t cease watching them.” 

Hocus Pocus 2 leans on the unique’s finest supply of narrative comedy: watching the Sanderson Sisters bumble by way of interactions with twenty first century know-how. One specific sequence involving the witches gazing upon a Walgreens — “Observe, sisters, it glows from inside with a sickening gentle,” — battling the automated retailer doorways, actually cursing the fluorescent lighting, and plundering the sweetness aisle, is a wonderful spotlight. And a shoutout should be made to Najimy’s interplay along with her fashionable broom choice: two Roombas change her vacuum cleaner from the unique, to hilarious impact.

Flying into the previous, again to 1693, Hocus Pocus 2 additionally offers us a glimpse on the younger Sanderson Sisters, banished from Salem and escaping persecution within the forbidden woods. Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Juju Journey Brener are completely forged as little Winnie, Mary, and Sarah, and Henderson particularly, is an absolute triumph, having Midler’s physicality and tonal supply right down to the sassy syllable.

New witches on the block

Reboots like Hocus Pocus 2 inevitably include a shiny new crew entering into massive pointed boots, and the additions to this sequel aren’t to be trifled with. The sequel units up a brand new trio that takes the reins from originals Max, Allison, and Dani, but additionally types a witchy new crew. Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo strike the proper Gen Z tone as Becca and Izzy, navigating an ungainly friendship breakup with Lilia Buckingham because the defiant Cassie. D’Angelo’s crisp, self-aware script even has Becca name out the obsessive patriarchal concern of feminine growing older to clarify the inclusion of the narrative trope of witches getting their powers on their sixteenth birthday (see: Sabrina).

In a single criminally quick look, Hannah Waddingham steals hearts and the present because the witch of the Salem woods, formidably flinging her big cape round and booming about Salem being “run by FOOLS!”. Waddingham’s character adjustments the story of the unique, wherein Allison says Winifred’s beloved spellbook was “given to her by the Satan himself”; in Hocus Pocus 2, it is the witch of the woods who does, making her promise to not utter Booo-oooook’s strongest spell.

Sam Richardson is completely forged as Sanderson Sisters superfan Gilbert, who runs the magic store that’s taken over the previous Sanderson home (it was a museum run by Allison’s mom within the 1993 unique). Richardson’s skilled comedic pausing, perpetually noope vitality, and delightfully nerdy enthusiasm is likely one of the movie’s absolute strengths.

After which there’s Tony Hale, doubling up as each Salem’s current day Mayor Traske and Sanderson sisters-hating Reverend Traske of seventeenth century Salem. Hale brings excellent small city politician and Good friend’s Dad vitality to the movie as Cassie’s dad and the mayor; he laughs manner too lengthy at non-jokes and will get overwhelmingly emotional concerning the carnival return of the caramel apples of Sandy’s Sweet Cauldron — watching Hale scornfully brandish his unhappy, store-bought model shouldn’t be as humorous because it actually, actually is.

Dragging the ’90s again from the grave

Hocus Pocus 2’s apparent nostalgia issue is an viewers double-whammy, satisfying the millennials and Gen-Xers who rented it religiously on VHS from Blockbuster within the ‘90s, and Gen-Z fiends residing for the continued ‘90s resurgence. Two ravens with one stone, if you’ll. Past the Tumblr aesthetic rampaging throughout TikTok, ‘90s-style movie and TV horror hits proceed to smash it out of the park, from Netflix’s Concern Avenue trilogy based mostly on R.L Stine’s teen sequence to the 2020 The Witches reboot, wherein Anne Hathaway had depraved enjoyable reimagining Anjelica Huston’s iconic function. The Munsters, Hellraiser, Firestarter — horror reboots are in every single place, but Hocus Pocus sits within the extra family-friendly-spooky-rather-than-scary camp.

There’s a cauldron filled with nods to director Kenny Ortega’s unique movie too, from the return of “maggot museum” and “good zombie” Billy Butcherson, to the opening overhead flying shot that sails into Salem, and the protecting energy of a circle of salt. Some references are much less essential than others, together with a meta second when Winifred flies previous a pair watching the unique Hocus Pocus on TV. Fletcher additionally retains in keeping with the unique movie’s savvy use of Disneyland-worthy particular and visible results, whether or not fog and wind machines, shuddering floorboards, effervescent huge glowing cauldrons, or candles that explode into illumination.

Basically, the movie looks like one thing worthy of a Blockbuster in 1993 and a cinema or streaming service in 2022. 

The facility of three will set you free

At its core, Hocus Pocus 2 pushes the significance of sisterhood above all, with Waddingham’s witch of the forbidden woods declaring early within the piece, “A witch is nothing with out her coven.” Each in a story sense and utilizing the chemistry between the 2 trios, Midler, Najimy, and Parker mirror the identical sophisticated bond as Peak, Escobedo, and Buckingham, studying as Izzy says, “Energy is supposed to be shared.”

“A witch is nothing with out her coven.”

Because the Halliwell sisters at all times mentioned in witchy ‘90s cornerstone Charmed, “The facility of three will set you free.”

Hocus Pocus 2, fairly merely, was definitely worth the wait, as a uncommon reboot/sequel that capitalises on the beloved magic of the unique whereas letting its core stars spectacularly lean into the chaos, whirling, cackling, and yowling as gloriously as they did 29 years in the past. When the credit roll on Hocus Pocus 2, we’re mud! Toast! Pudding! Dost thou comprehend?

Hocus Pocus 2 is streaming on Disney+ from Sept. 30.(opens in a brand new tab)