‘Hocus Pocus 2’ reunites Sanderson sisters and ignites nostalgia for viewers
The iconic Sanderson sisters make their return after 29 years in the grave. Editor-in-Chief Hallie Palmer missed the nostalgic trio and was excited for the sequel’s premiere.
Just in time for the spooky month of October, the sequel to the blockbuster ‘Hocus Pocus’ has made its haunting appearance, exclusively on Disney Plus. The infamous Sanderson sisters are back again for their time on stage after nearly 29 years.
The familiar faces of these sisters – played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy – left fans in awe of their brilliant stage presence.
If you’re like me, and just watched the first film yesterday to prepare for the sequel to premiere, then this movie will be an easy watch.
However for those skipping straight to the spin-off, here’s a little recap: in the town of Salem, a family of sisters live, concocting potions and placing spells in a Puritan society. Set in the 1700s, the act of witchcraft led them to be executed, not before transforming Thackery, a supporting character, into a black cat.
These child-eating witches rise from the dead as the new-boy in town, Max, lights the black-flamed candle out of ignorance. This sets the three sisters on their sinister quest to stay alive past dawn by feeding on a child’s soul.
In the end, evil is defeated and the ‘good-guys’ win – just like every other perfectly concocted Disney film.
As a classic Halloween movie, fans were excited for the airing of its much desired sequel. The questions remained, though: would this movie live up to the original after such a long dead period in between?
The answer to this lives under the discretion of the viewer. However for this watcher, the film promotes a 50/50 for both love and dislike.
This hour and 42 minutes contained a decent amount of laughs, but not enough to combat the comical first film. Adult references and underlying jokes for viewers older than average Disney fanatics made the first film amusing. It is felt that some jokes weren’t as understandable, and lacked the humorous spinunity that screenplay writers, Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris, had a charm for.
However, the relation to more modern ideas, such as the scenes in a Walgreens beauty section and the use of technology that had not yet been invented 29 years ago added a light comedic undertone, just not exactly what was expected.
There is an abundance of elements that seemed to be missing in the first film. Where was the ending to satisfy viewers? Where was the development of characters that all audiences seek to judge? Some things are crucial to this paranormal comedy to secure a liking from an audience.
What about the iconic musical number performed by the witch sisters in the first film?
As the sisters seek after Max and his crew in the first movie, they perform a choreographed number that was only expected to be outdone in the sequel.
However, a play off of ‘One Way or Another’ by Blondie was exciting, but surprisingly less entertaining than the original showing.
The character development, which would be a quintessential aspect to any film, was much more heart-warming and exactly what the original film was lacking. Yes, the development of Max was understood and tear-provoking for some viewers. However, to see the outcome of this film grew a desire in the hearts of viewers for their own personal calming circle and a hug from their siblings.
The love of ‘Hocus Pocus’ and the excitement that the classic Halloween comedy brings will never be outdone. Kudos to the efforts, but the original will always be cherished by original ‘Hocus Pocus’ lovers.
Hallie Palmer is a current senior at Richland Northeast High School, where she is apart of the PCA Vocal Program and Convergence Media Program. She acts...
