After almost 30 years, the witches of the Disney halloween classic “Hocus Pocus” have made it back on screen.
“Hocus Pocus 2” was released Sept. 30 exclusively on Disney+.
The nostalgia factor alone had this ’90s kid so excited to see one of my favorite childhood films finally get its sequel.
This time around, the beloved trio of witches, the Sanderson sisters, got an origin story.
The movie opened up in Salem with the Sandersons as children in 1653.
We get to see how the sisters discovered they were witches and how they got their start.
When the movie switches to modern time we are introduced to a friend group of three teenage girls: Becca, Izzie and Cassie.
The friends accidentally bring the Sanderson sisters back to modern day Salem when a magic shop owner, Gilbert, gives them a Black Flame Candle.
If a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle on Halloween night with a full moon in the sky, the Sanderson sisters will return.
Becca, Izzie and Cassie must then stop the Sanderson sisters as they work towards casting an immortality spell that will make them all powerful.
There are plenty of humorous high jinks, and of course the witches had another musical number but nothing can compare to the original “Hocus Pocus” film.
Although most of the plot was on the cheesy side, it was pretty funny seeing the Sanderson sisters react to things in modern day like automatic doors at Walgreens.
Some other silly moments in the movie include when the witches lose a Sanderson sister costume contest, and Mary Sanderson no longer flies around on her dusty old vacuum.
Mary gets two Roomba vacuum robots that she stands on to fly and they become like little puppies that follow her around throughout the movie.
In the end, Winifred Sanderson learns to cast the Magicae Maxima spell to become all powerful but quickly learns it comes at a cost.
She realizes that casting the spell means she will lose what she loves the most, her very own sisters Mary and Sarah.
Becca, Izzie and Cassie tell Winifred they can help her be reunited with her sisters and they cast a spell to send her to the same place as her sisters.
“Hocus Pocus 2” although a cute film, did not quite bring the same magic the original film has become known for over the last 29 years.
I still enjoyed watching “Hocus Pocus 2” as a family movie and introducing my husband and kids to one of my childhood favorites.
I loved that it was free to watch with my Disney+ subscription and I was able to have a double feature and see both movies back to back.
