Hocus Pocus 2 - A Disney+ Movie Review

The Sanderson sisters are back. It’s time to fly.

30 years after the events of the first film, Hocus Pocus 2 is a 2022 Disney+ film about the return of the three famous witches. Two high school girls light a candle accidentally bringing the Sanderson sisters back on Halloween night. They must figure out how to get rid of them before they wreak havoc across Salem.

Hocus Pocus never gets old during the Halloween season. With the upcoming release of the sequel, I was curious to see what they’d do to make it different from the original. Acquiring its funny moments, Hocus Pocus 2 doesn’t quite hit the mark that it was supposed to.

First off, I applaud Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy for not missing a beat in their iconic roles even thirty years later. Singing more songs, bickering, and even sharing a heartwarming sentiment, the trio is the best part. Honestly, leave all the other characters out and I would have been satisfied if the film just focused on them.

Speaking of the other characters, they’re so underwritten. Albeit they did a great job inhabiting the quirky atmosphere, they weren’t given any character direction.

I feel bad for Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lila Buckingham because there was so much potential for their characters. It was all wasted! Having issues in their friendship, Cassie (Buckingham) didn’t have to be in the film as she spends so much time on the sidelines.

Even while most of the attention is on Becca and Izzy, they’re thrown into a trap by the Sanderson sisters and then hardly seen for at least twenty minutes as the watches stalk the town. Given their friendship and backstories, they had a lot of potential.

Other credits to mention are Sam Richardson and Tony Hale. They were my favorites of the supporting cast. Also returning to his iconic role is Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson. Except, he is barely given anything to do besides walk around losing his body parts.

As the younger versions of the Sanderson sisters, Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen, and Juju Journey Brener understood the assignment and delivered the best performances.

I think that Hocus Pocus 2 should have centered more around the backstory of the witches. It was more interesting seeing their past life in 1653 Salem. This film is about them after all. That and their relationship.

In this one scene of the film, I was so touched by the presentation of Sanderson’s sibling love. Their sibling affection was never touched on in the original. Hocus Pocus is about love, friendship, and family.

While I am glad that Hocus Pocus 2 wasn’t a complete rehash, it deserved way more fleshing out. Characters from the original deserved a mention. Anne Fletcher repeated plot points and jokes. Hocus Pocus 2 is meant as pure nostalgia but that consumes the movie. There are noticeable plot holes left in the final product.

At one point, the witches are taken into a Walmart. They’re in this location much too long, dragging out the story, and obviously promoting the store.

Okay, so I did laugh. There are genuinely funny moments. Except, similar to the story which repeats storylines, jokes from the first film are also repeated. Since it’s a new modern setting more time is taken up explaining what has changed. We already get it! And there’s no need to explain jokes.

Go ahead and watch Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+. Whether you’re a fan of the original or have never seen Hocus Pocus, it is still worth a watch during the Halloween season.