Hocus Pocus 2 streams from September 30 on Disney+.
Synopsis
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
Review
The witches are back! The witches are back! After almost three-decades the Sanderson sisters are returning for a sequel that many could never have imagined back in 1993. The original Hocus Pocus may have failed to set the box office alight. But there’s no denying its status as both a cult classic and a Halloween tradition in the modern era.
A visit to a Disney Park or even the Disney Store is enough to tell you that Winifred, Sarah and Mary have become cosplay staples and fan-favourites. So now, in 2022, we find ourselves returning to Salem for the next chapter in their story.
Original director Kenny Ortega has been replaced by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal). Whilst David Kirschner returns for another story credit tying the two films together neatly, if a little tangentially. The premise is simple, a new group of teens living in Salem accidentally call forth the Sanderson sisters to once again wreak havoc on the town. Of course it’s All Hallows Even and the sisters have only until sunrise to cement their return before disappearing back in to the Black Flame Candle.
Hocus Pocus 2 sidesteps the usual legacy sequel trope of bringing back its entire cast. None of the first film’s kids return as adults for this new adventure. Presumably they all moved far, far away from Salem to escape their childhood traumas. Instead they’ve been replaced by a new set of heroes who feel more closely aligned with the Sandersons.
Kirschner, along with co-story developer Blake Harris and writer Jen D’Angelo, have updated the formula and brought the franchise in to the present day effortlessly. This time around the cast is far more diverse and representative. Our new trio of heroes are made up of Becca (Whitney Peak) and best friend Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) plus their old friend Cassie (Lilia Buckingham). The writers creatively throw in some conflict amongst the three to reflect the ongoing discord between the Sandersons. Both sets of “sisters” are required to overcome their own differences in an elegantly placed analogy about family and friendship.
Underneath it all it’s all about power. How has the power and how do they use it. Having been set free from the Black Flame the Sandersons, particularly Winifred (Bette Midler), need power in order to survive. Likewise, to survive the Sandersons, Becca and co. also need to find their inner power.
The original Hocus Pocus played perfectly in to the fish-out-of-water story for the sisters. Revelling in their bemusement at “modern” technology in 1993. Hocus Pocus 2 does it all over again, catching the sisters up to date on such modern inventions as robot vacuums. With all three original Sanderson actors, Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, all slotting back in to their roles perfectly there isn’t a missed beat in the brisk 103 minute runtime.
Midler is undoubtedly the star of the show. Winifred is front and centre, repeating plenty of beats which made the character iconic to begin with. Calls of “Booooooooook!” and belting out a classic pop number – not “I Put a Spell on You” this time – call back perfectly. It’s clear that the entire creative team feels the love and affection that the audience has for all three of the sisters. Avoiding going too deep in to plot points, there are developments in their relationship and exploration of their backstory which adds a welcome layer of nuance to proceedings.
Taylor Henderson, Juju Journey Brener and Nina Kitchen open the film as younger versions of each of the sisters. Each of the young actors has clearly studied their counterpart and brilliantly emulates some of their key character traits. The three are tasked with telling us, in a short space of time, exactly how the trio went from outcasts to villains.
Hocus Pocus 2 makes use of the technological advances since 1993. Though there are still plenty of practical effects, there’s plenty of visual effects used to help bring a little more sparkle to the Sanderson’s magic. It’s typical Disney-fare which is shot and edited in a very straightforward manner but with visual charm where it counts.
Verdict
Get set to be bewitched all over again as Hocus Pocus 2 recaptures all the magic of the original. It feels like no time has passed since the trio of Midler, Parker and Najimy inhabited the Sanderson sisters and the world is better for it. Add this one to your Halloween watch list now!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
