There will be spoilers ahead for Hocus Pocus 2After nearly 30 years and endless anticipation,Hocus Pocus2is finally available to watch on Disney+. Everyone’s favorite Sanderson sisters have returned to the Halloween-historic town of Salem, but it’s questionable whether their intentions or that of the writers are still the same.
While fans spend hours debating aboutwhich Disney franchise needs another remake, it had certainly been speculated and hoped thatHocus Pocuswould return to screens once more. Whilst the sequel aimed to capture the humor and entertainment values of the original 90s movie, it once again highlightedDisney’sstruggle with its streaming service and live-action cinema.
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After a black flame candle is once more lit with a new cast and no returning characters besides sisters Winnie (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and also Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) for comedy reasons, the Sanderson sisters are expected to wreak havoc over the town of Salem on Halloween night. However, this time around it feels like there are fewer dangers for the townspeople and the children of Salem, who were the intended victims the first time around. WhilstHocus Pocusis admired by fansfor all the right reasons and deserves its cult legacy, the sequel’s new direction strays quite far away from the original. There is a sense of family in the first movie, butHocus Pocus 2is a movie about sisterhood. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does feel like the cast could be inserted into any other genre or film and make it about the same topic. There are witches, there’s magic, andthere’s the spirit of Halloween, but the overall story lacks real depth.
However,Hocus Pocus 2does have a lot of notable moments and content to take away such. Audiences get the origin of the Sanderson Sisters gaining their powers, and a look at their original timeline from the 17th century and the hatred from the townspeople. This opening scene helps enable the dignifying closure to what could be the Sanderson story, which is Winnie’s love for her sisters. Although the film does hint at their return or some return to theHocus Pocusseries (especially seeing as other covens and witches are shown or described), it would be an unusually pleasant farewell to the sisters, but it does feel a little tooDisney.
There’s no doubt this franchise could mimic a lot of others in which there has been a huge gap between the first two films and thenquick succession between any future sequels. WhatHocus Pocus 2does differently from its predecessor is that it gives the Sanderson Sisters some goodness among their twisted identity. They don’t really feel like the bad guys at the beginning or end of the film — it’s almost a little tooDisney.
It is a shame that there were no returning human cast members from the original movie. It would have been great to see Thora Birch give some guidance to the new girls; however, the character development instead is about characters growing up through high school and growing distant. It’s a classic teenage storyline, but this one has magic. The use of modern magic of celestial beliefs was an admirable direction due to the popularity of such arts in the 21st century and the film itself tries to draw in a wider audience of creed and identity than the original.
It goes without saying that the originalHocus Pocusisn’t a perfect film. It features cringe-line deliveries and a choppy event timeline, but it was certainly a film with heart andemotional development between the characters.Hocus Pocus 2brings back the idea that in the time the Sanderson Sisters have been away, they are unbeknownst to the 21st-century advancements. This does play well into the concept of how they can gain children’s souls or use new products as brooms to save beating a dead horse. The film starts off well, with the direction, of the Sisters wanting to look younger, but even that concept disappears. A lot of content that is believable and truer to the original does take place in the early return of the Sanderson Sisters. But as the film progresses and tries to develop into its own version,Hocus Pocus 2loses its way among poor musical numbers, extra characters that don’t add much depth, and a direction towards the mayor (Tony Hale) which is quickly subsided.
TheDisneythat is around now is a much differentDisneyfrom that three decades ago, with its continuous monopoly of franchises and expansion that holds no boundaries. This also shows how the company feels it isn’t necessary to put every film in the cinema and provide a bigger focus toDisney+.Hocus Pocusmay not draw in the numbers at the box office that a newStar WarsorMarvelmovie might, but with the cult following it has from fans, it should have at least had a short cinema run. Hopefully, Disney+ isn’t the death of cinematic experiences.
It is nice to see Disney still paying homage to its original content rather thanMarvelandStar Warsevery week, but the mouse does know where its money lies. Many fans will have differing opinions onHocus Pocus 2,as it sends different messages to different people and it certainly isn’t theworst live-action Disney movieof the last few years. It manages to capture elements of Halloween with its setting in Salem, but takes away that child aspect of what Halloween is all about. Giving the concept to a new breed of witches is one of the most admirable directions the film takes. As previously mentioned, this film has a completely different direction, and there’s every expectation that there will be a more magical direction in future films introducing other witches. At the same time, what isHocus Pocuswithout the Sanderson Sisters? On the other hand, perhaps they are good now and will work alongside the protagonists. All that can surely be said here is thatHocus Pocus 2suffers the same fate many sequels do, and does not live up to expectations.
