In the spirit of transparency, it was going to be hard for me to not love Hocus Pocus 2. But, I shall do my best to be objective in my review which-just to ease all fears-will be spoiler free. Before I get into it, allow me to divulge a brief bit of personal history…
The Halloween movies that have been yearly traditions in my house was a short list. There’s It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and…hmph. That may be all of them. I mean, I’ve always been a fan of classic scary movies: Night of the Living Dead, The Shining, etc. And I’m always up for whatever newer spooky movie that arrives, such as Monster House, Paranorman and I’m even excited about this year’s Spirit Halloween film. Also you may have noted, I’m not big on new horror movies. Leave me out of the Saw franchise and I’ve never had any desire to watch Halloween 12-or whatever number they’re on now.
All this to say, I didn’t grow up watching what people normally identify with as part of their childhood. I watched the original Hocus Pocus last year, with my wife. And we watched it out of this new obsession we’ve developed of watching bad 80’s and 90’s movies while discovering just how much fun they can be. When you go into a movie with the bar set low, you end up having a pretty excellent time all around. Especially when you attach any 80’s or 90’s nostalgia to it at all. Then you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
I’m not about ‘hot takes’ and so I don’t think this is one, but I’ll say it anyway. The first Hocus Pocus film isn’t that great. It’s pretty cringey, and the kid actors are sub-par. The best thing about them are literally the Sanderson Sisters. But, you know, it’s a family-friendly film meant more for kids. So, you accept it for what it is and sit back and have a good time.
Fast forward to today when the long awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2, is released to Disney’s streaming service. And, you know what? It’s everything I wanted it to be.
Which is what, exactly? Welp, in the age of movies being made riding on the back of nostalgia it’s nice to get a film where the filmmakers understood the assignment. I wanted the Sanderson Sisters to be the main attraction, and for the most part, they are. We get call backs to the original with an adorable black cat, the return of Billy Butcherson, and even a couple of musical numbers. But nothing ever veers off too far into camp or cringe. The kid actors-for the most part-hold their own. And I was happy to see Tony Hale (who I enjoyed very much in The Mysterious Benedict Society), play a small role here that he just nails.
As for the sisters themselves? For me personally, I love to see actors step back into roles that are years old. Half the fun of Jurassic World: Dominion was just seeing Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, and Ian Malcolm back again. So, seeing Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all return-and to do so without missing a beat-was a blast.
There’s a brief prologue where we see the sisters as children in Salem which was also a real treat. Those three girls did great. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Sam Richardson as Gilbert, the magic shop owner. Who was just a stand in for me, as I watched the movie from my couch, though he was actually in it. His enthusiasm for the Sanderson Sisters nearly matched my own.
Final thoughts? It was fun. It was funny! And I’m excited to add this movie the new growing list of Halloween films that we watch especially to prepare for Spooky Season. Actors and plot aside, the movie does a good job setting a Halloween tone. There’s lots of kids in costumes and even a Fall fair. Once you add a trio of witches out to eat some children, a clumsy zombie, and a group of kids who are the town’s only hope-what more could you possibly want? Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me. But be warned, if you’re not a fan of the first, this one probably won’t win you over either. Although I do think it’s better than its predesesor, if you’re not down with a family friendly vibe, skip it. I’m sure A24 has something coming out soon that’ll be more to your taste.
Power Rangers in Space
On November 19th and 20th Fanboys Marketplace is hosting a Power Rangers in Space Reunion Event. VIP passes and photo tickets are available now for purchase ahead of time. Click the link here, and we’ll see you in November!
