The Sanderson Sisters are back 29 years after they last terrorized Salem. Once again, they are on a mission to find a way to stay alive after the sun rises and the power of the black flame wanes. Once again, they are up against teenagers who seek to stop them from their terrifying plans. Once again the Sanderson Sisters sing. Hocus Pocus 2 is now streaming on Disney+.
Story
The story being told in Hocus Pocus 2 is about what one would expect, with a few twists and turns along the way. It isn’t super in-depth but it does add depth to the story and motives of the Sanderson Sisters. It is fun and a little bit predictable, but that is ok. It doesn’t really need to be a whole lot more than that. There aren’t any major eyebrow-raising moments that don’t make sense. Instead, it is a story about the importance of family and friendship, that happens to have some pretty iconic witches in it.
Quality
Hocus Pocus 2 looks and sounds fine. It isn’t the greatest looking or sounding movie in the world, it isn’t the worst either. There were definitely moments where I found myself wishing they had spent a little more money. However, at the end of the day, it works for what it is. It very much reminded me of a modern-day Disney Channel Original Movie as I was watching it. The quality is good, but not great. I think this would have probably been more noticeable on the big screen.
Characters
The characters in Hocus Pocus 2 all made sense. The real winners were the Sanderson Sisters though. They had the most depth added to their stories, and that was a very good thing. The three teenage girls who were up against them were also interesting enough to watch develop. Much like the original though, a lot of the character development was fairly predictable. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it also wasn’t as engaging as it could have been.
Music
There really are two things to take note of when thinking about the music for this film. The score was actually very enjoyable to listen to. It did a wonderful job of having the feel and sound of the original movie. I was actually quite impressed with it. The Sanderson Sisters also sing two main songs during the film. One is The Witches are Back and the other is One Way or Another. The latter was meant to be this movie’s version of I Put a Spell On You. It felt like they were trying to replicate the magic of the original film with this song and it just didn’t work with the same effect. It is fun to watch but it just didn’t have that same level of energy and excitement… or have you walking away from the movie with it stuck in your head. All of the music is enjoyable in this film but the score is superior to the songs.
Final Thoughts
Hocus Pocus 2 is an enjoyable Halloween film that is definitely worth watching. Is it as iconic and memorable as the original? Absolutely not. Does it move the story of the Sanderson Sisters forward in a way that makes sense and is fun to watch? Absolutely. It is so hard to recreate the magic in a bottle that was found with Hocus Pocus. It is great to see the original cast members back and the new movie is a fun, albeit predictable, ride. That’s ok though. At the end of the day, this is a movie that is meant to be a fun flick and not a whole lot more. It’s worth watching on Disney+, maybe even as a part of a double feature. I’ll give this movie a hat nod. It’s an ok movie that is fun to watch but it just doesn’t have the magic of the original. With that in mind, check it out before Halloween and let me know how you’d rate it!
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
