Hocus Pocus 2 is an upcoming sequel to the 1993 Horror/Fantasy film that starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Vinessa Shaw, Sean Murphy and Omri Catz. The original film was directed by Kenny Ortega with a screenplay from Neil Cuthbert and Mick Garris. The sequel is directed by Anne Fletcher with a screenplay from Jen D’Angelo. The original cast of the 1993 film is returning for the sequel. The premise of the original film revolved around, “A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century. 300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft.”
While the premise of the sequel is about, “Two present-day Salem teenagers, Becca and Izzy (Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo), who accidentally bring the witchy Sanderson sisters back to life while performing their yearly Halloween night ritual.” The film has premiered on Disney+ and the critics who have gotten an early look at the film have given their opinions about the sequel.
Hocus Pocus 2 Reviews Roundup – A That No One Asked For?
Hocus Pocus 2 at the time writing has an IMDb score of 7.3/10 and 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, apart from the ratings and scores let’s take a look at what are the comments that the film is drawing in. The general consensus around the film is positive. It is definitely a sequel that no one asked for but the fans of the original are happy about its existence as it doesn’t ruin the first film for them in anyway but in fact extends on it and tells another story in the same fascinating world. The film banks on nostalgia but too much and it is an advantage.
G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle
“It’s even better than the original. Midler, Parker and Najimy are back, and they’re having so much fun it’s hard not to join them.”
Original Score: 3/4
Matt Singer
ScreenCrush
“They put more thought into the pharmacy product placement than the story.”
Original Score: 4/10
Amy Amatangelo
Paste Magazine
“At an hour and 43 minutes, Hocus Pocus 2 is definitely too long. But still I can’t be that mad that the witches are back; they still cast quite the spell.”
Original Score: 6.8/10
Phil Pirrello
AV Club
“Uses the franchise’s witchcraft and world-building to earnestly explore timely themes of identity and inclusivity, for a follow-up that fans may begrudgingly concede is better than the original.”
Original Score: C+
Brian Truitt
USA Today
“Fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved ‘90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.”
Original Score: 1.5/4
Peter Debruge
Variety
““Hocus Pocus 2” is actually the better made film, even if it amounts to little more than a stealth remake…”
Lindsey Bahr
Associated Press
“A straight-to-Disney+ sequel made 30 years later seemed like a cynical endeavor at best. So it was a pleasant surprise to find that “Hocus Pocus 2” is actually pretty fun.”
Original Score: 2.5/4
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
“All in all, it’s twice as good as “Hocus Pocus.” It’s easier to write that if you didn’t like “Hocus Pocus.”
Original Score: 2.5/4
Lovia Gyarkye
Hollywood Reporter
“A thin but satisfactory piece of entertainment.”
Jude Dry
indieWire
“It’s the witches’ world; everything else is just scenery to get these three back on broomsticks together. Unfortunately, their mean streaks seem to have softened over the years, and the movie relies on a manufactured sisterly bond to wrap things up.”
Original Score: B
Benjamin Lee
Guardian
“Like many fan favourite follow-ups, Hocus Pocus 2 is stuck, trapped somewhere between different times, audiences and tones, trying to do so much yet, in this instance, achieving so very little.”
Original Score: 2/5
Meagan Navarro
Bloody Disgusting
“Nearly three decades later, the Sanderson sisters still cast a magical spell, offering a warm hug of nostalgic callbacks with a modern take on sisterhood.”
Original Score: 3.5/5
Brian Lowry
CNN.com
“This kind of movie hardly needs to reinvent the cauldron… To its credit, the film still manages to be clever about weaving in callbacks to the original, like the trio’s goofy synchronized walk, without overdoing them.”
Amanda Whiting
Independent (UK)
“It’s less menacing. It lacks the exquisite cuteness exuded by a middle-grade Thora Birch. There are zero talking cats. But that’s unlikely to matter much to most audiences.”
Original Score: 2/5
Nell Minow
RogerEbert.com
“It is not a spoiler to say that smart, brave, and loyal teenagers get more comic treats than tricks. So does the audience.”
Original Score: 3.5/4
Johnny Oleksinski
New York Post
“Director Anne Fletcher’s movie is shtick atop shtick. Putting a pointy hat on a pointy hat. Like witches clinging to life, it gets old.”
Original Score: 1.5/4
Robbie Collin
Daily Telegraph (UK)
“We’ve seen sharper nostalgic revivals, but this is honourable twaddle: a diverting mishmash of high-fructose tricks and treats.”
Original Score: 3/5
Claire Shaffer
New York Times
“It manages to capture the same hokey magic of the original while creatively updating its humor.”
Elizabeth Gregory
London Evening Standard
“The banshees are more brilliantly bonkers than ever in this rollicking sequel.”
Original Score: 5/5
KiMi Robinson
Arizona Republic
“The movie delivers on nostalgia through its attention to detail and maintaining the “Hocus Pocus” campiness. However, it doesn’t have the legs to stand on its own.”
Original Score: 3/5
Hocus Pocus 2 is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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