Thirty years after the Sanderson Sisters were last seen in Salem, teenage would-be witches Becca and Izzy take a novelty Black Flame candle to their annual birthday ritual spot. Unfortunately, they discover too late that the candle is, in fact, the real deal and unleash the deadly witches onto the town.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) – Director: Anne Fletcher

By Disney+ – IMP Awards., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69172968

Rating: PG

Running Length: 103 minutes

Starring: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy

Genres: Horror, Comedy

REVIEW: HOCUS POCUS 2

In 1993, a classic live-action Disney movie was released upon the world and audiences met Winifred, Sarah and Mary – also known as The Sanderson Sisters – the witches of ‘Hocus Pocus’.

Repeated viewings, especially at Halloween, have become the norm for many so the announcement of a sequel filled fans with glee! Unusually, the hotly anticipated and long awaited follow up ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ was released straight to streaming service, Disney Plus and didn’t get a cinema release.

While the Sisters remain fantastic as the main draw and focus of the movie, what ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is lacking is well written protagonists. In the original, Max and Dani had the perfect balance of sibling love and annoyance amongst themselves, and swung between uncertainty and genuine fear throughout the movie. Now, Becca and Izzy are sassy, self-assured teens who barely raise a sweat when dealing with dangerous child-eaters, undermining what little stakes there are.

Similarly, their mostly absent third friend, Cassie, is tossed aside as a betrayer for simply expanding her friendships so it is hard to feel any warmth towards the duo we spend most of our time with.

Tony Hale, as the town’s mayor, is wasted as a perfectly friendly but forgettable descendant of the preacher who condemned the Sisters centuries ago – a potentially interesting plot thread ignored.

It must be said, however that Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen and Juju Journey Brener do excellent work as the Sisters in their childhoods, perfecting the mannerisms of their adult counterparts beautifully. Also, it was lovely to see Doug Jones return as the zombie, Billy, and he is just as fun as he was before. While ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is very enjoyable, it’s just a shame that it lacks the oomph and originality of the first spellcasting.

CONTENT: IS ‘HOCUS POCUS 2’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

We meet Winifred as a 16 year old in Salem with her sisters where she is pressured to marry a local man but refuses. Because she is defiant and independent, her town turn against her and try to punish her.

The Sanderson Sisters are in some woods, they hear spooky noises and a woman’s voice singing to them. A crow flies at them and transforms into another being.

After being given some special powers, the Sisters set a house on fire. As the flames spread and those who live in the house begin to panic, Winifred watches from a distance and giggles at the chaos she has caused.

As in the original movie, it is mentioned that in order to bring the Sisters back, the candle needs to be lit by a virgin. A child asks ‘What’s a virgin?’

Becca and Izzy sit among some dry leaves and light several candles. Once they blow out the match, they immediately throw it on the ground. Although nothing comes of this and it isn’t mentioned again, we would like to highlight how dangerous this is and children likely to copy what they see on screen should be taught not to light matches which could cause fires.

A character holds up a skincare face mask and the Sisters believe it is the real face of a child. One asks ‘What does it taste like?’ and another tries to eat it.

Winnie often gets frustrated with her sisters and hits them.

A character scratches the neck of another. A red wound appears but it isn’t graphic and the character barely suffers.

There is a scene towards the end which is a little sad, however it isn’t overdone so shouldn’t be too upsetting for kids.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘HOCUS POCUS 2’ FOR KIDS?

Disappointing but still enjoyable, ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ brings the Sanderson Sisters back with a bang, even if the rest is more of a whimper! We feel this movie is appropriate for kids aged 6 and over.

• Violence: 1/5 (Winifred often slaps her sisters around the head and shoulders when she is frustrated with them. They complain but are not badly hurt)
• Emotional Distress: 3/5
• Fear Factor: 1/5
• Sexual Content: 1/5
• Bad Language: 0/5 (a character complains that she was made to take the Lord’s name in vain twice. Some mild blasphemy)
• Dialogue: 2/5
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of family, friendship, witchcraft,

Words by Laura Record