In the case of legacy sequels, the expectation is much higher than that of a standard one that comes out three to five years after their original predecessors. With long- awaited follow-ups, the desire is that the newest films deliver on the promised nostalgia that's demanded by fans while moving their respective stories forward into a new generation. That is exactly what Disney's Hocus Pocus 2 aspires to do with it succeeding for the most part in satisfying fans of the original 1993 cult-classic with original stars Better Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising their iconic roles.
Hocus Pocus 2 focuses on three young teenage girls accidentally bringing back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem through the use of a black candle. Realizing the repercussions of performing such an act, the teenage trio rush to figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wrecking havoc on the world. Pocus 2's plot isn't one that screams originality and is structured to rely heavily on the originals outline, but its offerings are enough to overcome what sometimes feels like the writers struggling to find a plausible excuse to bring the original trio back. While Hocus Pocus 2 doesn't offer anything innovative for fans, it lives up to its promise of bringing the original trio back and placing them in today's world with funny moments that allow it to maintain the originals charm and make it a respectable follow-up.
Much of the sequels charm comes from the fantastic performances its cast delivers with Milder, Parker, and Najimy appearing to slip back into their original roles their chemistry remaining intact. Milder reprises her role as the oldest Sanderson sister, Winnie with Milder maintaining her characters leadership of the trio. With Milder, Parker returns as the youngest Sanderson sister, Sarah, whose immaturity, and airheaded with Kathy Najimy rounding out the trio as the Sanderson's middle sister, Mary, who possesses the magical ability to track children with an enhanced sense of smell. The newer casting additions deliver impressive work with Sam Richardson shining as amateur magician and owner of the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe Gilbert, who seeks to facilitate the Sanderson sisters return. For the newer trio of young female characters, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham all prove effective as high school friends with Peak as aspiring witch Becca who accidentally conjures the Sanderson Sisters on her 16th birthday along with Escobedo's Izzy assisting her and Buckingham as Cassie, Salem Mayor's daughter and estranged popular friend of Becca and Izzy. Other noteworthy mentions include Doug Jones reprising his role as Winnie's former love interest turned zombie Billy, Tony Hale as Cassie's father and the Mayor of Salem Jefry Traske, Hannah Waddingham the mysterious and sinister Mother Witch who gifts the spell book to the young Sanderson Sisters, and Froy Gutierrez as Cassie's inept and offensive boyfriend Mike. Hocus Pocus 2's cast brings a tremendous amount of energy and heart to the sequel, making it a fun-filled experience.
.jpeg)
In terms of directing, Anne Fletcher stays true to the originals mood and style while recreating the same type of supernatural Halloween-themed family-friendly atmosphere. Though the sequel is more kid-friendly than the original in comparison, it stands out as being equally enchanting for young viewers though more visually appealing with the background sets and cinematography being draped with Halloween style scenery. The soundtrack for Pocus 2 does a clever job of calling upon the nostalgia of the originals work with moments which provide clever callbacks to the original films work, while providing a fresh batch of catchy musical numbers for the classic trio of witches to perform including the films signature song "The Witches Are Back". When it comes to the films directorial work, Fletcher does an admirable job of rekindling audiences love and nostalgia for the original while utilizing some decent CGI showing the witches supernatural powers.
.jpeg)
The first Hocus Pocus carried a profound message about appreciating ones other sibling because of the realization that they will not always be there. Hocus Pocus 2's message stays true to the original with the story conveying the cherishing of both family and friends. The sequel also maintains the originals themes pertaining to the eating of children as magic, and making fun of those who are different, while placing heavy emphasis on ones including love, friendship, acceptance, and hope. The old Salem church and witch trials are explored in the films opening with more backstory being given to the origin of the Sanderson sisters. Winnie's character is shown to defy the authority of the Salem church by refusing to marry John Pritchett. Where the script thrives is answering fan questions such as when and how did the Sanderson sisters become witches, and why do they kill other children in order to preserve their youthfulness. Fun twists are added to the story that channels the original films goofy nature such as the Sanderson sisters hitting up a local Walgreens and having no clue how a retail store works. The young female trio are given enough development to make their characters appealing with side ones like Gilbert, Mayor Traske, and Mother Witch adding extra layers to the script. If any criticism can be directed at Pocus 2's writing, it's that the overall story structure often feels a little too close to the originals for comfort despite doing an admirable job of further exploring the sisterhood of the Sanderson's.
.jpeg)
Although it isn't perfect and has moments where it finds itself leaning too much on the original for comfort, Hocus Pocus 2 offers more to appreciate than dislike with the overall effort providing fans with an honorable follow-up that's bathed in nostalgia. It may not be the kind of sequel that fans who waited years for envisioned, but it possesses all the necessary ingredients that's required for making a good sequel which isn't a bad feat given that it never could match years of people's nostalgia for revisiting the original each Halloween season.
Final Verdict: For Hocus Pocus fans, Hocus Pocus 2 provides fans with an honorable sequel.
Images Courtesy Of Disney.
.jpeg)
.png)
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment