X
- 2022
- PG
- Disney+
- 1 h 43 m
- 2022
- PG
- Disney+
- 1 h 43 m
Summary It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
Directed By: Anne Fletcher
Written By: Jen D'Angelo, David Kirschner, Blake Harris, Mick Garris
- 2022
- PG
- Disney+
- 1 h 43 m
- 2022
- PG
- Disney+
- 1 h 43 m
Hocus Pocus 2
56
4.5
Where to Watch
Summary It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
Directed By: Anne Fletcher
Written By: Jen D'Angelo, David Kirschner, Blake Harris, Mick Garris
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
56
53% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
41% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
56
53% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
41% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
The challenge for the sequel to a beloved film is maintaining enough of the original to make the fans happy without being too repetitive or confusing newcomers, and Hocus Pocus 2 gets that just right.
The reunited Midler, Najimy and Parker running amok (amok, amok, amok) bring enough of that ol' black magic to carry this whimsical caper and keep it from feeling like too much of a cash-in.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 129 User Ratings
4.5
29% Positive
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
29% Mixed
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
43% Negative
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 129 User Ratings
4.5
29% Positive
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
29% Mixed
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
43% Negative
55 Ratings
55 Ratings
Nostalgia and something with a "feel good feeling", the sisters returned with a bang and of course a song. The story really sets it right with the Sanderson Coven, their quirks, upmost villainry and their bond of sisterhood. I'm always worried about sequels especially when it's about a childhood film you've loved. Honestly could not stop smiling,laughing and yet still brings a tear to my eye. Definitely recommend from a film student/film lover.
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Come on people. It is clearly not the movie that those of us who have grown up with the original expected. But almost 30 years passed, the way of making movies changed too much, and more at Disney. And it clearly doesn't have that adult comedy with a hint of horror from the original. Not to mention the address which is different. But, I think the movie has many things to salvage: I found the prologue incredible, and the girls who played the young Sanderson sisters did an excellent job. The setting is quite good, the musical numbers, although somewhat disconnected from the plot, were entertaining. And the Sanderson sisters are taking over the show again. Instead of living off a style of movie that is clearly not going to come back, let's appreciate that they gave us a product that, although it doesn't live up to the original, is quite nostalgic and deserves at least to be given the opportunity.
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Rough greenscreen work can’t keep the Sanderson Sisters down in a fun enough follow-up to a Halloween classic.
I’d say Parker, Najimy and Midler all did a great public service coming back to these characters and deserve the thanks of a grateful nation for giving this their all, giving us a few laughs and a lot of grins and giving legions of little girls Disney role models who aren’t princesses waiting around for some prince to get a clue.
When there is no actual conflict, the film's already low stakes start to feel meaningless, and the characters' bumbling hijinks around town start to feel tiresome. Conflict is necessary to inject urgency into a film, and as a result, Hocus Pocus 2 starts to really flag halfway through, once the shine of nostalgia starts to fade and Midler, Parker, and Najimy start to run out of musical numbers to perform.
All of these parties try hard with a script that, while credited to Jen D’Angelo, doesn’t appear to have been entirely written as yet.
The follow-up fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved ‘90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.
It’s another cult classic. Just as campy as the original !! Great plot. It’s 2022 and these witches move with time.
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Was a few good moments. but that's it.
The guys are unbelievably stupid. Woke a.f. I wanted to give the movie 2 stars, but for that cute black cat I'll give it 3.
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Considering the fan reaction to the news of Hocus Pocus 2, its clear there was a real desire for a sequel to the 1993 classic Halloween movie. Although I don’t like admitting this but the Sanderson Sisters probably should have stayed dead, instead they came back for a sequel that’s a heavy dose of nostalgia and not much else.
On Halloween night, during a full moon, two young women accidently bring back the Sanderson Sisters (again) to modern day Salem. They now need to find a way to stop the wicked witches before they feed on children and get revenge on the town of Salem. Yes that all sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well it should, because rather than try something new with Hocus Pocus it’s the same idea done again only worse.
Despite a very promising opening sequence featuring the Sanderson Sisters as children, Hocus Pocus 2 descends into an unfunny, heartless sequel that only reminds you at how much better the first one is, and that wasn’t exactly a masterpiece to begin with. It really is the exact same thing done again only with enough unfunny jokes stuffed into it you’ll either die of cringe or your eyes will roll into the back of your head and stay there forever. With the original there was at least the feeling that the Sanderson Sisters were a genuine threat to people but with Hocus Pocus 2 there’s none of that. They’re just blundering their way through Salem while not understanding how the modern world works….hilarious.
Sure it’s great they got most of the original cast back, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker. They’re all back including the fabulous Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson. Also added to the cast is Hannah Waddingham (yes you do know who she is, look her up) who I have to say was criminally underused. You don’t get Hannah Waddingham to only use her for five minutes. What a missed opportunity. The younger actors cast to play Winne, Sarah and Mary in Salem were spot on, that whole sequence was the best thing about this sequel and I probably would have enjoyed it if the whole film was like that. Why do a sequel if it’s just the same idea redone badly when a perfectly good origin story was right there? Madness, and another missed opportunity.
Hocus Pocus 2 completely relies on nostalgia and sure look it worked, I ended up watching it, and nostalgia always sells. But the story is weak, the jokes don’t land and the musical numbers certainly don’t work. Even with all that being said, the original Hocus Pocus was financially a flop at the box office when it first opened (seriously who decided to release it during the Summer?). It only gained its popular cult status afterwards and myself and many of you probably watched it every Halloween on TV for years. For that reason we all have fond memories of Hocus Pocus so who’s to say how popular this sequel will be in twenty years. The younger generation will probably enjoy it, and if it does indeed do well with streaming viewers don’t be surprised if yet another sequel appears.
There’s plenty of decent horror movies to indulge on this Halloween but if you need something a little less scary then you might be better off with the original Hocus Pocus instead. Hocus Pocus 2 is recommended for anyone looking to entertain their kids with a Halloween movie that isn’t going to give them any nightmares.
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Production Company
Walt Disney Pictures,
David Kirschner Productions
Release Date Sep 30, 2022
Duration 1 h 43 m
Rating PG
Tagline We're back, witches.
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 3 Nominations
Kids' Choice Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
The Queerties
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
