Movie Review: Hocus Pocus 2

It's finally time!!!

The original San (Bette Middler as Winifred, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah, and Kathy Najimy as Mary) from 1993 Halloween cult classic is back for a sequel after almost 30 years since.

After watching the trailer, I was dying (not literally) to watch this film to get my take on it.

The movie opens at horrifying intro then at the lake, forest, then at Salem somewhere at the 16oos where we meet Young Sanderson sisters looks like they were 8 or 10. Young Winifred acts overly dramatic and she has to force to be married to John Pruitt even though she wants to marry Billy Butucherson. The Reverend gives Winifred another chance for the proposal, she refuses so the Reverend had no choice but to abandoned the Sanderson sisters from Salem until the spider crawled on Reverend he freaks out. The Sisters run away to the forbidden forest start forming a calming circle until they a singing voice that lured Sarah ears but Winifred stops her. The strangest thing I noticed was the red dark bird that look like a raven watching them then the bird to a magical witch trying to eat Sarah. Winifred stops her but later befriends them and turns them into witches even gives them a one eyed spellbook. The young Sanderson Sisters use their first spell on setting the Reverend's house on fire. Then, the present day, we met three friends: Cassie, Becca, and Izzy. Its Becca 16th birthday. They looked seemed awkward and distant the way they communicate with Cassie until Cassie's boyfriend Mike enters the scene being rude a little obnoxious. At class, Becca puts out this magical rock and the funniest part was when Mike thought Becca was putting a spell on him Cassie siding with her boyfriend. Cassie family is rich and her dad is running for mayor, he is nice and a weirdo. They head to the Salem Magic Shoppe, the outside of the shop looked exactly like the Salem houses in the 1600s. Inside, everything was like the Sanderson's house filled with books, stones, ancient halloween stuff, their one eyed spellbook and a black cat (not actually Thackery Binx but he seems like a references to the 1993 character). The two went inside see Gilbert the store owner telling the stories about the customers about the Sanderson sisters. When the story was over, Gilbert gives Becca the black flame candle. Izzy and Becca head to the foriddean forest to cast a spell then Becca ends up lighting the black flame candle bringing the witches back. Their costumes looks the same as 1993 even though their appearances are different. They started to sing "Witches are Back". Sanderson Sisters find and meet Izzy and Becca trying to steal their souls but they don't have the book. The book is at the Magic Shoppe owned by Gilbert awakes from the voice from Winifred. The two would lie and say they're witches themselves. They take them to the Walgreens store to help them to take "children's souls" to make them look young. The weirdest and funny was the Sanderson trying products at the store. Then they meet the young fans dressed like them take a selfie with them. A very fond fandom moment. When the Sisters started to fly to find the girls after they lied to them, Winnie use the broom, Sarah use the Swifier mop, and for laughs, Mary use the two robot vacuums like a hoverboard. But it was good and hilarious moment seeing Sarah singsong a "amuck" like she did in the original.

Turns out Gilbert the great tricked the girls to lighting the black flame candle to bring the Sanderson Sisters back and he has been trying to bring them after he found the book almost 30 years ago and he helps them. The Sanderson start to get revenge on the Cassie dad who is running for mayor who looks similar to the Reverend. The girls: Becca and Izzy are trapped under the basement of the Shoppe hearing the conversation tries to call Cassie to warn her about what they are going to do with her dad. Meanwhile, Gilbert tries to dig up Billy's grave to give Winnie his head. He comes out from beyond the grave and this time he talks to Gilbert tells his side on what happened to him and Winifred. At the fest, the Sanderson Sisters sing again "One Way or Another" bewitching the audience with more choreography different than the original when they did the "Put A Spell on You" bit.

Becca becomes a powerful witch and starts to stop them she takes the book. The saddest part was when Sarah and Mary start to fade not Winnie. She starts to get upset wanting her sisters to come back and begs Becca to open the spellbook to get her sisters back. Book opens to a reuniting spell charming Winnie to fade with her Sisters. The Book starts to shed a tear after she fades away. After the witches are gone, Becca keeps the book giving it a new home. In the end, we see there's another black flame candle meaning the Sanderson sisters might return. Damn!!!! This sequel film was wickedly fun to watch for the whole family. However, it is kind of sad not to see half of the cast of the 1993 film make a cameo appearances. It would have been nice to see Thora or Vinessa play as the teacher and tell them the story of the Sanderson Sisters maybe help Becca, Izzy and Cassie out on stopping the Sandersons than Gilbert. Just saying in my opinion. Overall, it was so good to see Bette, Sarah, and Kathy to play as the Sanderson Sisters again. I loved their costumes, their humor and everything they brought from the original film.

Director: Anne Fletcher

Writer: Jen D'Angelo

Story by: David Kirschner, Blake Harris, and Jen D'Angelo

Based on the Characters by Mick Garris & David Kirschner

Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Doug Jones, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, Froy Gutierrez, Hannah Waddingham,

Cinematography: Elliot Davis

Editor: Julia Wong

Music: John Debney

Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, David Kirschner Productions

Distributed by Disney+