It’s been 29 years, but the Sanderson sisters are back. I’ll be honest: prior to this, I hadn’t watched the original Hocus Pocus, so I went and watched it before I watched Hocus Pocus 2. I found Hocus Pocus to be a hilarious, feel-good type of Halloween movie, and Hocus Pocus 2 does not disappoint. In my opinion, it definitely lives up to certain expectations the first movie may have set, while some things could have been done better. Toeing the line between age-old beliefs and modernism and the past and present as well as a central theme you’ll discover, Hocus Pocus 2 is enjoyable for the whole family and not just for spooky season, though it does add to the overall feel.
Familiarise Yourself with the “Ingredients” for Hocus Pocus 2
Recurring Characters:
- The Sanderson sisters: Winifred, Mary, Sarah
- Billy Butcherson (I love that they brought him back)
- Book
New Characters:
- Three high school girls
- One of their dads
- One of their boyfriends
- The owner of a magic shop
- Another witch
The Premise of Hocus Pocus 2
Similar to Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2 is all about the Sanderson sisters being resurrected. Again. And sure, they want to be beautiful and young forever and consume children’s souls and all of that, but they also have a higher purpose this time: revenge. In Hocus Pocus 2, we get the backstory of the Sanderson sisters. Were they born witches? Were they made witches? Did they voluntarily sign up to be witches? Enter modern-day Salem at a high school, where the story again, takes place in the course of one night on All Hallow’s Eve.
We’re reminded of the tale (myth? Legend?) of the Sanderson sisters and how to resurrect them. Obviously, they get resurrected – that’s the whole point of this movie – and revel in their being alive once again. If you’ve watched Hocus Pocus, you’ll know there’s a dance and song number in it (which I found absolutely delightful), and there’s one in Hocus Pocus 2 as well. What happens next is that it’s up to the high school girls to stop them from unleashing chaos and taking their revenge. Billy Butcherson makes a comeback as well, but why/how? Watch the movie.
Favorite Things
- The Sanderson sisters’ flying tools – not just brooms now, y’all
- Book’s character arc
- The Sanderson sisters being themselves
- The central theme (please watch to find out)
- Hannah Waddingham’s appearance (if you have not watched Ted Lasso, I highly recommend, but that’s a story for another day)
There’s a lot to love about this movie and I did not expect to get emotional over this movie, but I did, but I can’t tell you why, so you’ll have to go watch it yourself. That said, I wish that we had gotten more of the three high school girls and their arcs, because although the Sanderson sisters are the main characters, I feel like they could have been developed a little bit more.
Hocus Pocus 2 debuts on Disney+ Hotstar on 30th September 2022, so it’s a perfect movie to watch on a night in! You could save it for Halloween, or get a head start by watching it as soon as it’s up. Hope you enjoy the movie, because I did!
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