Revisiting your childhood… is anything more terrifying? The moment when you rewatch a work you once loved and realize… you were ten. In fact, it is not only scary, it’s disappointing. So, with Hollywood’s propensity to revisit, but not necessarily revel in nostalgia, if you’re passed childhood, chances are Hollywood has already touched something important to you. When Disney announced a sequel to Hocus Pocus, I was already nervous. Does this classic Halloween movie of yore really need a sequel? How would that end up looking on screen? Well, yours truly has seen it. Read on, kids.
Hocus Pocus 2 jumps back into the story of The Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) 29 years after the events of the first film. This time out, the virgins who light the black flamed candle are two teenagers with “witchy” tendencies (Whitney Peak and Becca Escobedo). Will they be able to take down the witches before they wreak Halloween havoc on Salem? The witches are back, baby.
Doug Jones, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson and Froy Gutierrez co-star in Hocus Pocus 2. Anne Fletcher directs the movie from a script by Jen D’Angelo.
I am, admittedly, an elder millennial. I was 7 when the first film came out. Like many of my generation, Hocus Pocus is a point of nostalgia for me, and it’s a film I regularly revisit. So, the first thought I had when Disney announced this remake was, “Is this really needed?” Most of us dread the moment we see our childhood turned into a hackneyed “straight to video” sequel.
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Luckily, director Anne Fletcher finds the right chemistry with her casting. The originals who return (and many of them have) aren’t missing a beat. Even better, the new cast joining the fold meld in smoothly. This is particularly true of Peak and the delightful Escobedo. Tony Hale, I’m sure many will agree, is excellent in everything he does. Meanwhile, Sam Richardson fills a role I had no idea I wanted to see.
I would, of course, not be doing my job if I didn’t join the chorus of voices calling out Doug Jones for yet another incredible performance. A character actor of the most versatile variety, Jones excels at playing the creatures that terrify you. From The Shape of Water to Pan’s Labrynth, What We Do in Shadows, and everything in between, few match Jones’ physicality. He returns to play “zombie” Billy Butcherson after originating the role in the first film.
Hold onto your hats, kids! Billy is given more to do this time around! He talks! In fact, Billy is probably the biggest surprise in the evolution of the sequel. Fletcher isn’t afraid to let Jones show exactly what he can do and, in that, uses Billy to far greater effect.
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What became exceedingly clear watching Hocus Pocus 2 is just how much the world changed in 29 years. There’s an element of scariness to the witches in 1993 that we don’t see in 2022. In fact, they seem to be almost played for comedy this time around. There’s a greater sense in Hocus Pocus 2 that Salem remembers the Sanderson Sisters. Rather than being afraid of these supernatural beings, they are fans. Throughout the film, we see a Sanderson Sister costume contest and youngsters asking the witches for selfies. There’s even a certain element of fandom to the witches being brought back.
In 1993, the scariness might still have been of the family-friendly variety, but the film injected danger and stakes into the narrative. These women have killed children, so it is conceivable they may potentially kill Dani (Thora Birch). There is a reason to be afraid of The Sanderson Sisters. By 2022, however, the jeopardy our characters face at any point is minimal. There’s little that a creative use of salt won’t solve.
Instead, there’s a greater focus placed on humanizing The Sanderson Sisters that feels ever-so-slightly jimmied into the film’s beginning and end. Hocus Pocus 2 begins in a flashback, setting up the witches as children. Keep an eye out for Taylor Henderson, who steals the early minutes of the movie as young Winifred. Her Bette Midler impression is uncanny.
Thinking about it, the film seems to be trying to do too much. It wants to tap into the scariness of this Halloween plot while still humanizing (and modernizing) the story. It’s hard to make these opposing sides work together, and the tone struggles. As a result, it leads to a product that feels cute and fun but little else. For lack of a better word, the movie ends up feeling very “Disney Plus.” It lays out some interesting ideas but ultimately can’t quite manage to find its voice.
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Or is Hocus Pocus 2 simply an instance of revisiting a much-loved franchise with 29 years of additional life experience? Does a Halloween movie need to be scary? Or does it simply suffice for a Halloween film to take place during the Spooky Season? These are questions I’m still struggling to think of an answer for as I sit back contemplating this film.
When all is said and done, though, Hocus Pocus 2 is ultimately a cute little family film, probably far more fantasy than horror. All the right elements are present to make this a fun follow-up to this much-loved first film. However, it’s difficult to say if the sequel will earn the same longevity and love that the original still enjoys. However, it can’t be denied that it is fun to see all these characters back on screen together once again. While I can’t deny that it’s fluffier than the original, if you know and remember Hocus Pocus, you’re sure to have some fun.
Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney Plus right in time for Spooky Season on September 30, 2022.
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