LIKES:
It's Cute: The first Hocus Pocus movie always had a cute and charming tone to it, and I can say that this movie has its own sense of charm. The movie is family friendly, making sure to bring those fun moments back to the 2020s. We have those relationships that make social media famous today, and you can dive big into the Disney charm the studio wishes to deliver. As such, the theatrics are there to please the modern day, including the representative part, that should make loads of people happy with this film.
The Actresses Still Got it: I'm not going to go over the new generation, but they have props. We know who most are coming for and it's the original Sanderson Sisters that cast the spell long ago.. Well, the girls still got the charm on many levels despite it being almost twenty years since the first installment. Of the three Parker is the one that's the "rustiest", not quite having the charm and promiscuity that the first Sarah had in the nineties. While this is a victim of the times, censorship, and the new age of Disney plot points. Still, she has the dopiness to it and is very quirky and idiotic that Sarah was always known to be in the first movie. Najimy has the next set of quirks that aren't quite fully fostered, again due to the new age, but Klutzy Mary is still as awkward, bumbling, and goofy that she made, only this time with modern day technology being her mode of transportation. It's Midler who is the champion of the three for me, capturing just about everything that made Winnifred, Winnie. She's boisterous, conceded, a bit of a bully, and unlikely to listen to anyone else, no matter the signs. She is the glue that holds this movie together for me, still capturing so much of the character that dazzled us in the nineties and continues to try to make the tradition meet the new boundaries set by Disney. It's not quite a mature or raw as the first one, but, she works well to be the character and evolve the head sister.
The Visual Effects Are Fun: The original had impressive magic to the moments back in the first Hocus Pocus that were great for the times. Fortunately, technology has been one of the things making consistent progress in the modern times to make the unreal, well... real. This second movie does have new things to trial out, and the Disney budget, even the Disney+ budget, is utilized well to make the spells, charms, and whatever synonym you want, to come to full life. It's not too over the top, still has some original charm, and really makes the whole ordeal that magical fun of Sanderson sinister times.
It's Sweet and Modern : I have to say I'm a sucker for sweetness to some extent, and the movie does hit that mark when it comes to its performance. Hocus Pocus 2 may not be the stylized adventure of the predecessor, but there are times at the end where the modern twist really does hit the feels. The last 20-30 minutes really do a great job of helping bring that awwwww moment, and I can't say that I did not appreciate the wholesome messages that modern day movies do so love to bring out. Had it not been so predictable and forced, it would have been one of my favorite moments, but I still have to give my respect to that finale in terms of feels.
The Easter Eggs: Clever? Not at all. Balanced? Again, not hitting that factor. But, for die-hard fans, the Easter eggs and homages paid to the first movie are loaded in this film for the uber fans to dine on. The second installment is all about making sure to pull old and new into the mix, and having those blasts to the pasts really helps bring smiles to die hard Hocus Pocus coven out there. You'll see it bridging so much, and sometimes the jokes are perfect, and I'm sure a second or third view will help reveal more I missed just like Disney desires to do all the time. I will also say, kudos to the comedy writing for using Easter eggs to poke fun at the modern times.
Book is Done Much Better: I can safely say, my favorite part of this movie is the infamous Book. Not for the cat call that Midler has made immortal, but for actually giving what was once just an impressive prop, more character this time. The movie's focus on story elements extends to the book that was anthropomorphized in the first tale, and made him my favorite character of this modern telling. Somehow, I found more emotional connection to the holder of spells, than just about anything else, and that finale, really did a great job, if odd, telling of emotion with it. Book's evolution in this film is quite honestly one of the better tale elements, and I think was a solid, if weird, angle to extend the tale on for this movie.
DISLIKES:
The Story is very quick and lackluster: The first movie may not be the Oscar Winning, groundbreaking story that other films have told before. However, in this case, the fun, complete, and quite planned out tale of the first movie is sort of loss to the popular, stuff it with emotions and fan base and give us a Spark's note tale. Hocus Pocus 2 is a lot of underdeveloped characters, teenage nonsense that is made famous in Zombies and Descendants. The emotional moments and real if character connections of the first one are sort of washed out and drowned by the overdramatized moments that do little for viewers like me. It's that dramatic for the flair again, rubbing it in your face that they need to be recognized and acknowledged that is just not as natural as the first film. Throw in background history moments, meaningful inclusion of characters, and hints of things to come, but never do and the tale is just lackluster compared to the bar of the first.
The Epic Twist is Bland: There is a twist to the movie, or perhaps two, that are supposed to be awesome and mind-blowing according to the fan base I've seen on social media. However, for this reviewer, it's a predictable, cliché, and unimpressive set of twists that is lost on fans like me. I feel it was supposed to be the same brand of empowering, dream big, moments that Disney wears like a bumper sticker. On one level, I appreciate it, and liked the direction they were going. However, the twists were not executed well, very in your face, and quite honestly cheesy like a PSA for some culture or another. As such, the twist just does nothing for me and needed more storytelling.
Loose Ends In This Movie Suggesting series coming: The modern age seems to be, create one movie and you need 18 more things to follow. This movie does not escape that trend and suggest there is more to come with the three witches story. While there are more obvious things suggesting this I won't go into, the movie has about three or four plot elements that are either introduced with no explanation, or not tied up at all, to suggest something else is coming. Based on sales, response, and the willingness of things, there could easily be a Hocus Pocus + in the future for uber fans to get excited to see, however, in terms of this movie, that annoying story telling takes away from the movie.
The Threat is Rather Absent: The first film had a bit of terror and stakes to the mix. The witches were bumbling fools, but they also were a threat, planning to suck the souls of kids to maintain their lives forever. This one though, that element is kind of there, but Disney's new age really diluted that moment and left us with more of a comedic villain, than an actual villain. The result? It's a movie with a missing piece that traditional fans like me like in their Halloween thrill. Even half of Halloween Town's villains were more of a threat than the direction this film took.
The VERDICT: Hocus Pocus 2 is a mixed bag of tricks for a writer like me who is a fan of the first one on so many levels. In this film, the movie is cute and keeps that family friendly atmosphere that it had from the nineties. Within the movie is plenty of homage to the original, with enough new flair to seed potential for modern day times having a place with the trio. With surprising development of a prop, great acting from the leading ladies, and some quirky magic to pump up the energy with, this movie really does try to play to a wider audience. However, in doing that, the other elements of the original are gone from this film, and the composure of a complete and well-done story went with it. This second installment has done bland twists, poor character usage, unfinished tales, and lackluster finessing to say it's the "best movie of the year" or "oh my gosh so good!". The modern day theatrics drive the bus for this film, and all the darker, edgier, and engaging aspects are gone for in your face shots of empowerment that fit on a t-shirt or Social Media post. The movie lacks so much of the emotional and entertaining soul it had, only getting to that point in the final act. I can't say this movie deserves a 1 or 2 like some do, though there are moments it does. However, this film is not quite the strong spell the first movie cast for me. My scores for this film are:
Comedy/Family/Fantasy: 7.0 Movie Overall: 5 or a 6.
It's Cute: The first Hocus Pocus movie always had a cute and charming tone to it, and I can say that this movie has its own sense of charm. The movie is family friendly, making sure to bring those fun moments back to the 2020s. We have those relationships that make social media famous today, and you can dive big into the Disney charm the studio wishes to deliver. As such, the theatrics are there to please the modern day, including the representative part, that should make loads of people happy with this film.
The Actresses Still Got it: I'm not going to go over the new generation, but they have props. We know who most are coming for and it's the original Sanderson Sisters that cast the spell long ago.. Well, the girls still got the charm on many levels despite it being almost twenty years since the first installment. Of the three Parker is the one that's the "rustiest", not quite having the charm and promiscuity that the first Sarah had in the nineties. While this is a victim of the times, censorship, and the new age of Disney plot points. Still, she has the dopiness to it and is very quirky and idiotic that Sarah was always known to be in the first movie. Najimy has the next set of quirks that aren't quite fully fostered, again due to the new age, but Klutzy Mary is still as awkward, bumbling, and goofy that she made, only this time with modern day technology being her mode of transportation. It's Midler who is the champion of the three for me, capturing just about everything that made Winnifred, Winnie. She's boisterous, conceded, a bit of a bully, and unlikely to listen to anyone else, no matter the signs. She is the glue that holds this movie together for me, still capturing so much of the character that dazzled us in the nineties and continues to try to make the tradition meet the new boundaries set by Disney. It's not quite a mature or raw as the first one, but, she works well to be the character and evolve the head sister.
The Visual Effects Are Fun: The original had impressive magic to the moments back in the first Hocus Pocus that were great for the times. Fortunately, technology has been one of the things making consistent progress in the modern times to make the unreal, well... real. This second movie does have new things to trial out, and the Disney budget, even the Disney+ budget, is utilized well to make the spells, charms, and whatever synonym you want, to come to full life. It's not too over the top, still has some original charm, and really makes the whole ordeal that magical fun of Sanderson sinister times.
It's Sweet and Modern : I have to say I'm a sucker for sweetness to some extent, and the movie does hit that mark when it comes to its performance. Hocus Pocus 2 may not be the stylized adventure of the predecessor, but there are times at the end where the modern twist really does hit the feels. The last 20-30 minutes really do a great job of helping bring that awwwww moment, and I can't say that I did not appreciate the wholesome messages that modern day movies do so love to bring out. Had it not been so predictable and forced, it would have been one of my favorite moments, but I still have to give my respect to that finale in terms of feels.
The Easter Eggs: Clever? Not at all. Balanced? Again, not hitting that factor. But, for die-hard fans, the Easter eggs and homages paid to the first movie are loaded in this film for the uber fans to dine on. The second installment is all about making sure to pull old and new into the mix, and having those blasts to the pasts really helps bring smiles to die hard Hocus Pocus coven out there. You'll see it bridging so much, and sometimes the jokes are perfect, and I'm sure a second or third view will help reveal more I missed just like Disney desires to do all the time. I will also say, kudos to the comedy writing for using Easter eggs to poke fun at the modern times.
Book is Done Much Better: I can safely say, my favorite part of this movie is the infamous Book. Not for the cat call that Midler has made immortal, but for actually giving what was once just an impressive prop, more character this time. The movie's focus on story elements extends to the book that was anthropomorphized in the first tale, and made him my favorite character of this modern telling. Somehow, I found more emotional connection to the holder of spells, than just about anything else, and that finale, really did a great job, if odd, telling of emotion with it. Book's evolution in this film is quite honestly one of the better tale elements, and I think was a solid, if weird, angle to extend the tale on for this movie.
DISLIKES:
The Story is very quick and lackluster: The first movie may not be the Oscar Winning, groundbreaking story that other films have told before. However, in this case, the fun, complete, and quite planned out tale of the first movie is sort of loss to the popular, stuff it with emotions and fan base and give us a Spark's note tale. Hocus Pocus 2 is a lot of underdeveloped characters, teenage nonsense that is made famous in Zombies and Descendants. The emotional moments and real if character connections of the first one are sort of washed out and drowned by the overdramatized moments that do little for viewers like me. It's that dramatic for the flair again, rubbing it in your face that they need to be recognized and acknowledged that is just not as natural as the first film. Throw in background history moments, meaningful inclusion of characters, and hints of things to come, but never do and the tale is just lackluster compared to the bar of the first.
The Epic Twist is Bland: There is a twist to the movie, or perhaps two, that are supposed to be awesome and mind-blowing according to the fan base I've seen on social media. However, for this reviewer, it's a predictable, cliché, and unimpressive set of twists that is lost on fans like me. I feel it was supposed to be the same brand of empowering, dream big, moments that Disney wears like a bumper sticker. On one level, I appreciate it, and liked the direction they were going. However, the twists were not executed well, very in your face, and quite honestly cheesy like a PSA for some culture or another. As such, the twist just does nothing for me and needed more storytelling.
Loose Ends In This Movie Suggesting series coming: The modern age seems to be, create one movie and you need 18 more things to follow. This movie does not escape that trend and suggest there is more to come with the three witches story. While there are more obvious things suggesting this I won't go into, the movie has about three or four plot elements that are either introduced with no explanation, or not tied up at all, to suggest something else is coming. Based on sales, response, and the willingness of things, there could easily be a Hocus Pocus + in the future for uber fans to get excited to see, however, in terms of this movie, that annoying story telling takes away from the movie.
The Threat is Rather Absent: The first film had a bit of terror and stakes to the mix. The witches were bumbling fools, but they also were a threat, planning to suck the souls of kids to maintain their lives forever. This one though, that element is kind of there, but Disney's new age really diluted that moment and left us with more of a comedic villain, than an actual villain. The result? It's a movie with a missing piece that traditional fans like me like in their Halloween thrill. Even half of Halloween Town's villains were more of a threat than the direction this film took.
The VERDICT: Hocus Pocus 2 is a mixed bag of tricks for a writer like me who is a fan of the first one on so many levels. In this film, the movie is cute and keeps that family friendly atmosphere that it had from the nineties. Within the movie is plenty of homage to the original, with enough new flair to seed potential for modern day times having a place with the trio. With surprising development of a prop, great acting from the leading ladies, and some quirky magic to pump up the energy with, this movie really does try to play to a wider audience. However, in doing that, the other elements of the original are gone from this film, and the composure of a complete and well-done story went with it. This second installment has done bland twists, poor character usage, unfinished tales, and lackluster finessing to say it's the "best movie of the year" or "oh my gosh so good!". The modern day theatrics drive the bus for this film, and all the darker, edgier, and engaging aspects are gone for in your face shots of empowerment that fit on a t-shirt or Social Media post. The movie lacks so much of the emotional and entertaining soul it had, only getting to that point in the final act. I can't say this movie deserves a 1 or 2 like some do, though there are moments it does. However, this film is not quite the strong spell the first movie cast for me. My scores for this film are:
Comedy/Family/Fantasy: 7.0 Movie Overall: 5 or a 6.