Hocus Pocus 2
DISNEYWhile their original shows have garnered plenty of acclaim from critics and fans alike in their ability to bring a cinematic edge to serialized versions of the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney has struggled to release impressive original films on their platform. Anything that is not a Pixar animation (Soul, Luca, and Turning Red deserved a theatrical release) has been nothing more than glorified Disney Channel originals, carrying the same level of rushed productions and uninspired visuals that those films used to have. Not only that, but now Disney+ has become the home of belated sequels that are unlikely to make a dent at the box office, thus justifying their smaller budgets and straight-to-streaming release.
Hocus Pocus 2 is the perfect way for the multimedia conglomerate to test whether this tactic is worth it, and, considering its achievement as “the most-watched original movie” on the streaming service, they are onto something. The original 1993 Halloween-set picture became a cult classic on home media and thanks to yearly reruns on television, but it is far from a technically impressive or narratively rich family film. Choosing to make the much-awaited sequel in the era of streaming was a surefire way to capitalize on older viewers’ nostalgia for the Sanderson sisters, risking very little and having a lot to gain.
The nearly 30 years between the two films coming out could potentially mislead viewers into expecting something deeper than a simple cash-grab, something that warranted the movie coming out in 2022 rather than 2002 or 2012. Sadly, that is not the case. Hocus Pocus 2 is the streaming equivalent of the cheap, lazy, unnecessary sequels that Disney churned out on a monthly basis on VHS tapes, meant only to elicit a nostalgic response with no real (he)art or effort put into it.
The opening prologue, set in 1653 Salem, seems to hint at a potential rehabilitation of both the Sanderson sisters and witches as a whole, unfairly maligned by their community for just being independent women – an element that rings more horrific considering the current situation in Iran. Instead, that sequence is nothing more than a disposable backstory, and references to the patriarchy, feminism, and queerness are just virtue signaling, ticking a box that leads nowhere. This makes Hocus Pocus 2 a frustratingly dull watch, with nothing interesting to do or say.
When Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are back together on screen for the first time and erupt in a jarring musical number, it is definitely nice to see them bickering again. When Midler’s Winifred says that they will not trust teenagers again like they did last time, there is hope that the proceedings will indeed be different. And yet, as soon as she says that, the Sanderson sisters get bamboozled by young Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), two generic and lifeless protagonists that make the teens from the original feel like believable human beings.
Hocus Pocus 2 is a mess, with unconvincing sets – look out for the giant bright moon that never changes spot when they visit the forest – predictable characters that never change or grow, and themes of literal and metaphorical sisterhood that ring hollow as they are spoonfed to viewers in the final moments. Only the trio of witches and the natural charm of Sam Richardson (here playing the owner of the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe) manage to make this somewhat watchable, because otherwise neither the uninspired young characters nor Tony Hale doing his shtick are particularly interesting or worthwhile. It will be interesting to see if the upcoming sequel to Enchanted will be similarly cheap both in front and behind the camera, for Disney+ may indeed be the new home for tired sequels many want to watch but no one would pay money for.