Movie Review: ‘Hocus Pocus 2’

Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker reprise their iconic witchy roles for the fun follow-up to the 1993 movie.

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney's live-action 'Hocus Pocus 2.'

(L to R) Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney's live-action 'Hocus Pocus 2,' exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Releasing on Disney+ September 30th, ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is aiming to work on several fronts: as a sequel to Disney’s 1993 fantasy comedy and as a family-friendly entry in a Halloween movie marathon.

It is admirably successful in both efforts.

The original ‘Hocus Pocus’, directed by Kenny Ortega, spun the yarn of the Sanderson sisters – Bette Midler’s sarcastic Winifred, Kathy Najimy’s goofy Mary and Sarah Jessica Parker’s ditzy Sarah – who, legend tells, were hung in the town of Salem as witches. Swearing that they will return for retribution, they cast a curse upon Salem.

Accidentally resurrected through use of a black flame candle, they end up causing fresh chaos in the town for one night in 1993 before the coming sunrise banishes them once more.

That film wasn’t exactly beloved by critics and didn’t cast that much of a spell at the box office. Yet despite that, it has grown into a cult favorite in the years since, regularly finding a slot on Halloween re-watches largely because it’s the sort of supernatural fantasy that works, boosted by the playing-to-the-back-of-the-theater gusto of Midler in particular.

Sam Richardson as Gilbert in Disney's live-action 'Hocus Pocus 2.'

With Anne Fletcher in the director’s chair this time around, the story is set in the present day, when Salem still goes big for Halloween, and the legend of the Sanderson sisters lingers on through costumes and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who loves to tell their story on the small makeshift stage in his store.

Yet the initial focus is on teens Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), who are planning their annual ritual for the former’s birthday. Normally involving a movie marathon and “witchy stuff” (according to a mocking classmate) their celebrations are muted by cooling relations with the third member of their friendship trio, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), who nabbed herself a cool boyfriend and seems less interested in hanging with her old pals.

When Gilbert gifts Becca a black flame candle, she and Izzy head to the local woods to light it and enact their usual ceremony – but you can guess what happens. With the Sandersons back in town (and determined not to be undone by pesky teenagers or sunlight this time around), their plan is to gather the items they need to cast a powerful spell that will grant them ultimate witchy power.

Becca and Izzy, then, must try to stop them, with an assist from Billy Butcherson (a returning Doug Jones), the zombified remains of Winifred’s one true love, though he argues they shared “but one kiss”.

(L-R): Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, Whitney Peak as Becca, and Lilia Buckingham as Cassie in Disney's live-action 'Hocus Pocus 2,' exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

And before any of this happens, there is a charming prologue set in 1653 featuring younger versions of the Sandersons (Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen and Juju Journey Brener) first embracing their supernatural destiny with the help of a scene-stealing Hannah Waddingham (best known for playing Rebecca Welton on ‘Ted Lasso’), who is honestly so entertaining in her brief role that you almost wish the screenplay had found some way for her to appear more.

Yet the big selling point remains Midler and co. camping it up as the witchy trio, clearly having a blast returning to their roles. The script by Jen D’Angelo gives them plenty to get their teeth into (a plus when you consider the choppers on Winifred), keeping the characters in line with how people remember them but given them new things to do.

Whether it’s finding new things to use as brooms to fly upon (Sarah grabs a Swiffer WetJet, Mary a pair of misbehaving Roombas) or figuring that an Alexa is really a women trapped in a box), they’re a constant, campy delight, infecting the rest of the cast with that sense of wacky joy.

Peak and Escobedo are likeable, down-to-earth leads who play well off the bigger performances of the witches as they desperately try to fix the havoc that has been caused.

(L-R): Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson in 'Hocus Pocus 2,' exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Amusing set-pieces such as an early one set in a Walgreens (where Becca and Izzy try to convince the trio that they don’t need to consume young souls to stay youthful, because make-up products in modern-day America are bursting with the essence of babies) and one at the local Halloween carnival (with the sisters once again given a chance to sing).

Most smartly, the film has assembled a top-notch comedy cast to support the stars – Richardson is a lively and funny Gilbert while Tony Hale throws himself into the dual role of the witch-hunting Reverend Traske (in the prologue) and his descendent, the fun-loving Mayor Traske (who naturally factors into the Sandersons’ plan in the present day).

Jones, meanwhile, gets to wheel out his faux British accent as Billy, this time handed more of a backstory and allowed plenty of space for the actor’s spot-on physical comedy chops.

It’s another fairly straight-forward story, of course, but underpinned by a healthy emotional arc for Midler, particularly near the end as the true consequences of her achieving ultimate power are revealed.

Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson in 'Hocus Pocus 2.'

Effects-wise, it was never going to challenge big screen efforts in terms of quality, but that just adds to the kitsch value and helps make the movie feel more of a piece with the original.

This is the refreshing legacy sequel that doesn’t try to remake the original and, while it naturally goes down a similar route, finds enough fresh magic to sprinkle across the story. Fans of the first film will enjoy the callbacks (which are used sparingly and well) and those who’ve never seen that movie can enjoy this one without needing to have caught up.

‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is cheesy, silly and straightforwardly funny in a way that both honors and, at times, bests the original.

‘Hocus Pocus 2’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.