We have been waiting 20 years for a Hocus Pocus sequel: the original movie came out on July 16th, 1993. The first film is about a teenager named Max Dennison and his little sister, Dani, who moved to a town called Salem. On Halloween night, they decided to go into an abandoned house, and after one mistake, they accidentally released a coven of evil witches. With the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells. Now, in the 2022 sequel, the three witches have decided to come back. 

I know long time fans have numerous questions and high expectations for this movie, and so did I! Most people will ask: “Are all the characters from the first movie coming back, such as Thackery Binx?” or “Will they finally accomplish the spell that started it all?” 

My first thought after watching the film was that I was disappointed that the movie didn’t meet my expectations. For example, why weren’t the original characters, such Max or Alisson, not in the movie? Also, why were the witches more clueless and friendly in the sequel? I say they lost their spark for eating children. In my opinion, the movie was cringey and not very memorable. The one highlight of the movie is that it can be funny at times. For example, the witches no longer travel by brooms; they travel by Swiffers! Overall, I would say skip this movie and watch the original Hocus Pocus instead!

⭐⭐ (2 out of 5 stars)

I visited Rottentomatoes.com, a movie review site, and read about what other viewers thought of Hocus Pocus 2. Here are some comments made about the movie:

Apeksha Bagchi, a film critic at We Got This Covered, said, “While the witches do manage to put a spell on us, their bewitching skills have taken a serious hit courtesy of a plot that doesn’t even try to find its footing.”

Emily Zelmer, a film critic at The Observer, stated, “Long-time fans of Hocus Pocus will have a lot of expectations for a sequel, most of which are likely met here. The special effects are better, obviously, but the vibe remains. Hocus Pocus 2 will undeniably get you in the Halloween spirit.”