The sistahs have returned. As with any Disney movie, Hocus Pocus 2 opens with the magical Cinderella’s castle, morphing into a darker, spookier theme as the screen dims and the castle darkens. We’re then taken back to 1653 Salem, where we meet the young Sanderson sisters. With strong visuals, cinematography and, of course, performances, the sequel gave both original and new fans a fun and comical broomstick ride. No, it isn’t perfect. No, it doesn’t exceed expectations. But Hocus Pocus 2 paid homage to its 1993 predecessor and it incorporated enough modern characteristics to ultimately whip up a boiling cauldron of entertainment. 

High school students Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) are at odds with their friend Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), who has a boyfriend that likes to tease the other two about practicing witchcraft. After Becca and Izzy perform a birthday ritual in the woods, unknowingly with a real black flame candle, they unwittingly summon the Sandersons. Salem quickly falls under their spell as the witches try to get revenge on the town that drove them away in the first place. 

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all reprised their roles as Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively. Unfortunately, we don’t get a reunion with Omri Katz who played the lovestruck teen Max Dennison or Thora Birch, who played little sister Dani. But we’re introduced to a whole new generation of teenagers, and the young actresses – Peak and Escobedo – did not disappoint. 

The film was met with some wickedly harsh criticism, but not from the pros. Many so-called fans actually bashed it as a “low budget boring sequel” and this is far from what it deserves. Sure, it’s not totally unique, but neither was the first film. It became a sleeper hit once audiences decided to give it a chance after it grew on them. This is how a cult classic is born in the first place; it’s never automatically praised. 

Humor for All Ages

From the moment the favorite trio reappears, Hocus Pocus 2 becomes itself: a funny, lighthearted family film with much higher-end cinematography and filming locations. We first meet the Sandersons’ younger selves in 1600s America. Sixteen-year-old Winnie (Taylor Henderson) is exactly like her adult self. Her comical smile and witty demeanor oozes with all the sarcasm Midler put into her adult character. 

Young Winnie hilariously rejects a marriage proposal (well, really an enforced law) with her witty, sarcastic demeanor. And although her and young Mary (Aiden Torres) and Sarah (Juju Journey Brener) are supposed to be evil, we can’t help but root for the teens as they run away from the Puritan townsfolk of Salem and into the charmed woods where they meet their fate. 

It’s hard not to develop a soft spot for them from this moment on. 

Next we have the irony-filled showtunes, starting with “The Witches Are Back”, a rendition of Elton John’s “The Bitch Is Back.” The film confuses viewers for a bit with how it initially looks like an attempt at a musical, but it quickly turns itself around with a little bit of meta usage. For starters, Becca (Peak) asks Izzy (Escobedo) who the witches are singing to and Sarah abruptly gets in their faces to reply, “You!” They’re poking fun at the fourth wall now, and it’s a stroke of simple genius. 

But perhaps one of the most tenacious moments is the continued “virgin” joke. We already got that back in 1993, but this is Disney. They can’t address anything in the realm of sexy; the Mouse House can only skirt around it. And this time, they did it perfectly for viewers of all ages. When a kid asks Gilbert (Sam Richardson) what a virgin is, he answers, “a person who has never…lit a candle.”