The Sanderson Sisters return after 29 years in the sequel to the amazing movie Hocus Pocus. Since the movie was announced in December 2020, the producers have been hyping the film up. Now the real question is: is it really worth it?
As someone who enjoyed Hocus Pocus for its family-friendly nature, the way it brings out the Halloween spirit, with the way the movie is talked about, I was expecting more. The beginning of the movie was odd, but it gave a backstory, so I went with it and continued to watch. Soon after, it went south.
So a quick rundown of the movie and its backstory: when a young person lights The Black Candle, it will summon the three witches who were lynched for eating children. Before being killed, the witches set a curse: If they get brought back and eat a child’s soul, they will gain immortality.
In this movie that takes place in Salem, the shop owner is obsessed with the witches and is not able to summon them because he does not fit the criteria. So, he then decided to trick the young teenagers into lighting the black candle by saying it was just a souvenir.
When the witches arrived, the girls told them that they were 30 years old witches. This interaction was awkward and reminded me of the acting in the High School Musical. The witches suspected that the young teen girls were lying. The teen girls then brought the witches to Walgreens (the grocery store) and told them that everything to remain youthful was there. So then the witches proceeded to drink a ton of skin care products. This scene was unsettling to say the least.
The movie tried to keep its original comedy but failed. After drinking the skin care products, the witches found a circular mirror to see around corners; these mirrors are notorious for distorting the reflection. When the three witches saw their distorted reflection, they were immediately angry with the girls.
The producers aimed to keep its nostalgic aspect, and I would even say they tried too hard. For example, when the witches left Walgreens, they left on a Broom, a Swiffer, and two robot vacuum cleaners (similar to a Roomba). They did not use the original broomsticks because we don’t use them in modern times.
The teenagers also could not act. They were so cringy and awkward; I felt like I was watching a 2015 Disney channel show.
While I don’t recommend wasting your time or money on this movie, the first Hocus Pocus is funny, entertaining, and nostalgic. I recommend that everyone watch it at least once because it is a cute movie that is crucial to the classic Halloween experience. When you’re done, be happy that you didn’t waste your time on the second one because the sheer existence of it is unnecessary.
