By The Delta Collegiate Team
Sesa – I have never been the biggest fan of a sequel coming out years after, but “Hocus Pocus 2” changed my mind. The first “Hocus Pocus” has always been my go-to movie for the Halloween season because it is a feel-good film that reminds me of my childhood, and “Hocus Pocus 2” made me feel the same way. One of my favorite things from this film was that they brought back other characters from “Hocus Pocus 1” aside from the Sander Sisters. This film was the perfect Friday night, popcorn in hand, fuzzy blanket reachable decision I have made.
Courtney –“Hocus Pocus 2” was everything I wanted and more in a sequel to one of my favorite childhood Halloween movies. I personally loved the way the movie started, opening up to when the Sanderson sisters were children. Taking us back to how they began, how they became witches. Like the first movie, it then flashed forward to the present day at a high school at Halloween time. It gave me the same feeling as the first one and beautifully delivered a follow-up story. The three original actors made the movie complete. Though this is a sequel, you could watch it as a stand-alone. But watching the series back to back is truly an experience. “Hocus Pocus” is a movie I have watched every Halloween season since it was released, and now I can watch both of them! This sequel was years in the making and hit the nail in the cauldron!
Heather – I really didn’t have high hopes for this movie going in. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, given it’s been nearly 30 years since it first came out and it is an important piece of my childhood. I’ve been let down too many times while waiting for sequels (I’m looking at you, SLC punk). But, alas, I was not entirely disappointed. It was nice to see them all back as well as little bits and pieces of easter eggs. Sure, it was corny and campy, but it still entertained and delighted me. The ending really got me, too. I wasn’t expecting to be so emotional about it, but it felt like a good ending and possibly a new beginning. I am just happy it finally happened after all these years of waiting.
Vince – This movie was perfect, in my opinion. The plot, humor, and casting all filled me with the same level of interest and happiness that Camp Rock and High School Musicals did when I was growing up. Disney has such a perfect way of making family movies that even a sports junkie like me still felt emotionally connected to the characters and choked up at the movie’s end. There were plenty of moments in the movie where I had genuine laughs, such as the time when they were looking for brooms to fly on in Walgreens, and one of them grabbed two Roombas. I must give a huge compliment to the CGI department. Scenes such as the candle burning and the witches flying over the city were done very well, better than some Marvel movies. Replay value-wise, I would definitely watch this movie again, I knew this movie would be somewhat corny and predictable, but scenes with the salt barrier and the final fight in the woods were unpredictable but perfectly paced. Huge props to director Anne Fletcher.
Logan – In typical Disney fashion, this sequel sees the Sanderson sisters after an even bigger and more powerful spell. I went into this film with low expectations, and I was right. At least half of it is rehashing classic scenes from the original. The writing contradicts itself a few times, rewrites canon from the original, and there are plot holes galore. The Book is given a morality complex, and Winifred suddenly has a self-sacrificing love for her sisters that isn’t true to her character. SJP, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy picked up their roles as if they’d never been away and were easily the best part. The supporting cast is held down by bad writing or bad acting. The film pulls almost every punch at least twice. The sisters came back from the dead and immediately began to sing in the middle of the woods for no apparent reason, which was too cringy to be amusing. Seeing the sisters as kids were delightful, but I think the fanfiction I read in 2008 did it better. The film went on for about 30 minutes too long, and, ultimately, it lacked the Halloween energy that the first film captured effortlessly.
Misty – I saw the original “Hocus Pocus” when it came out back in 1993, but I was never a die-hard fan of it like so many others. This sequel didn’t make me one, either. It’s a quintessential Disney film, complete with young characters to save the day and stereotypical out-of-touch adults. I’m not sure if it was intentional, but some of the special effects looked like they were stuck in 1993 and were distracting for me. That’s not to say the movie doesn’t have some merits. It was a cute film with beloved characters brought back 30 years later for nostalgia. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy effortlessly slipped back into their old roles and make you feel like it’s only been a few days since the last time they’d played the Sanderson sisters. Overall, “Hocus Pocus 2” was an entertaining way to spend a cold evening snuggled up with my dog when nothing else looked interesting to watch.
Onnie – Going into this movie, I did not actually have huge expectations for this sequel as many others did; just seeing the original cast for the Sanderson Sisters play their roles expertly was enough to satisfy me. Unfortunately, most of the characters did not seem to be fully realized characters. Gilbert’s character, for example, seemed to have a lot of potential. He had influence over the main characters and an interesting connection to the antagonists to boot, but, ultimately, his character fell flat. This seemed to be the general theme with most of the roles. Overall, the movie will be great for children to play in the background, but it does not hold a candle to the original.
Travoy – The movie had its ups and downs. I’ve never seen the original movie before, but honestly, I was not a fan.
Vanessa – I was both excited to watch “Hocus Pocus 2” and a little skeptical. I loved the first movie, so I was thrilled that there was another coming out, but I was also worried it wouldn’t live up to the original. It starts off nicely, with a little bit of the Sanderson sisters’ backstory. It then goes to present-day Salem, set 29 years after the original “Hocus Pocus.” The focus is primarily on two teenage girls, Becca and Izzy, and their experience of this particular Halloween night. The movie was better than I expected, with a nice balance of throwbacks to the original and fresh ideas. It’s a good family Halloween movie, and though it’s not award-winning, I think it’s worth a watch.
