Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Directed by Anne Fletcher
29 years since the Black Flame Candle was last lit, the 17th-century Sanderson sisters are resurrected, and they are looking for revenge. Now it's 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.
5 connections found
View:
5 films that influenced Hocus Pocus 2
What critics say influenced Hocus Pocus 2
From an outsider’s perspective, the adoration is in the same vein as The Goonies (1985), where its resonance can be directly tied to the age in which we first saw it.
Return to Oz (1985) and Labyrinth (1986) didn’t hold back from being dark and scary – it left an impression on youngsters.
And so, it’s not surprising that in the nearly 30 years since its 1993 release, Hocus Pocus has become a movie that exists outside of objective context, in much the same vein as Grease or Dirty Dancing, the kind of bibbidi-bobbidi entertainment that renders any attempt at qualitative assessment a bootless endeavor, particularly each October.
Before this simple spell happens, however, director Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal”) takes us back to early Salem to offer an origin story for the sisters (playing teenage Winifred in the prologue, Taylor Henderson has fun channeling the Divine Miss M’s more flamboyant mannerisms).
Directed by Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal”), the follow-up fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved ‘90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.
Anne Fletcher (“Step Up,” “The Proposal”) directs this sequel, but follows the same goofy comedic approach of the Kenny Ortega-directed first film — namely, how the sisters react to modern inventions like robot vacuums, Amazon’s Alexa and Walgreens.
Based on the 1993 surprise Kenny Ortega hit uniting Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as Salem witches Winifred “Winnie” (Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Najimy), the new film directed by Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal”) reunites the Sanderson girls in opening scenes set in old time Salem where witches really did exist and not just innocent women accused of being such (Is this an issue?).
Screenwriter Jen D’Angelo has worked in the comedy space on shows like Solar Opposites and Young Rock, while director Anne Fletcher is best known for turning out beloved genre fare like Step Up and The Proposal.
Advertisement
Much like Practical Magic , another 90’s fan favorite with a dismal RT rating and low returns, it owes its fandom to audiences discovering it after its initial release.