While fans spend hours debating about which Disney franchise needs another remake, it had certainly been speculated and hoped that Hocus Pocus would return to screens once more. Whilst the sequel aimed to capture the humor and entertainment values of the original 90s movie, it once again highlighted Disney’s struggle 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. Whilst Hocus Pocus is admired by fans for 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, but Hocus Pocus 2 is 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, and there’s the spirit of Halloween, but the overall story lacks real depth.
However, Hocus Pocus 2 does 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 the Hocus Pocus series (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 too Disney.
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 then quick succession between any future sequels. What Hocus Pocus 2 does 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 too Disney.
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 original Hocus Pocus isn’t a perfect film. It features cringe-line deliveries and a choppy event timeline, but it was certainly a film with heart and emotional development between the characters. Hocus Pocus 2 brings 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 2 loses 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.
The Disney that is around now is a much different Disney from 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 to Disney+. Hocus Pocus may not draw in the numbers at the box office that a new Star Wars or Marvel movie 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 than Marvel and Star Wars every week, but the mouse does know where its money lies. Many fans will have differing opinions on Hocus Pocus 2, as it sends different messages to different people and it certainly isn’t the worst live-action Disney movie of 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 is Hocus Pocus without 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 that Hocus Pocus 2 suffers the same fate many sequels do, and does not live up to expectations.
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