HallowScream - Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and after yesterday's gaming HallowScream with Five Nights at Freddy's, it feels nice to get back into talking about movies for HallowScream, which brings us to today's review: Hocus Pocus 2. Released just last month on Disney+, this sequel to 1993's Hocus Pocus sees the return of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters, who are brought back to, once again, wreak magical havoc across Salem, Massachusetts. 

           The movie, actually, opens with a flashback to when the Sanderson sisters were kids themselves, and it shows how they were first cast out by the people of Salem, and how Winifred Sanderson was given her signature spell book by a witch known as the Mother Witch. Flash forward to present day Salem, roughly thirty years after the events of the first Hocus Pocus, and we meet Becca, a high school student and aspiring witch, who along with her best friend Izzy, frequents the Salem Magic Shoppe, where they're given a candle by the shop's owner, Gilbert. The candle, it turns out, is actually another Black Flame Candle, and upon it being lit, the Sanderson sisters are brought back, and they seek to accomplish the same goal as before: extend their return past just Halloween Night. However, this time, instead of the potion they previously used on Emily Binks, the Sanderson's plan to cast a powerful, and dangerous, spell known as "Magica Maxima." 

             So, much like the original Hocus Pocus, the best thing about Hocus Pocus 2 is the performances of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters. All three are just as funny together now as they were back in 1993, and they still bounce off each other perfectly. I also like that the Sanderson's have a sidekick in this movie with Gilbert, and I really enjoyed actor Sam Richardson as Gilbert, and his scenes not only with the Sanderson's, but also with Billy Butcherson. Speaking of which, Doug Jones returns as the fan-favorite zombie that ran around across Salem in the first movie, and the makeup effects honestly look better in this movie than they did in the first movie. Not only that, but we get some more in-depth details on Billy's connection with the Sanderson's, as it turns out that he and Winifred only kissed one time, and he wanted nothing to do with her after that. I really find that to be hilarious, as it really provides more depth to a minor subplot from the first movie. 

 

           Newcomers Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo are definitely terrific as Becca and Izzy. Now, there is a third part of their friend trio, with Cassie, and while Lilia Buckingham does really well in the role, we don't really see her share much screentime with Cassie and Izzy. One neat part about the character of Cassie is that she's the daughter of the Mayor of Salem, who is portrayed hilariously by Tony Hale. Seriously, I've been saying for a while that this guy definitely deserves a lot of recognition, and between this movie and streaming projects like A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Mysterious Benedict Society, he's definitely getting a lot of recognition for his acting chops these days, and it's fantastic. Another neat connection between the Mayor and the Sanderson's is that the Mayor is descended from a Reverend, also played by Tony Hale, from the time that the Sanderson's we're in their youths. 

        Now, of course, we have a pair of musical numbers performed by the Sanderson sisters in this movie, one is "The Witches are Back," a reworking of Elton John's "The B**ch is Back," and the other is a cover of Blondie's hit single "One Way or Another." Both songs are performed brilliantly and hilariously by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, and they are just as good, if not better, than the performance of "I Put a Spell on You" from the first movie. As a matter of fact, this movie does a lot of things better than the original movie. I honestly think it's merely a matter of time and distance making the concept more popular and more entertaining than when the original hit theaters in 1993, and it's smart to have made the movie a Disney+ original. Honestly, as a Halloween movie on streaming, Hocus Pocus 2 works better than had it been a big screen release with tons of money thrown into it. Sometimes, something made for streaming makes for a better experience than something made for theaters. It is for that reason that I give Hocus Pocus 2 a rating of 4.65/5. I should reiterate that, while I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it helps if you go into it already a fan of the original Hocus Pocus.

         Anyway, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back with more HallowScream on Monday with my review of Rob Zombie's The Munsters. Before that, however, I'll be checking out the new DC Comics film Black Adam this weekend. So, stay tuned for that.