Hocus Pocus 2 is less an exercise in storytelling and more a constant barrage of attempted funny moments that seldom land the punch. To be fair to the film, it seems rather self-aware of its shortcomings, which is why perhaps it doesn’t shy away from poking fun at itself, alongside other ideas.
Drawing on the Halloween subculture of the fantasy-comedy genre, the film’s idea of ‘campy fun’ is let down by its lack of creativity.
The story begins in 17th-century Salem, where three sisters with a taste for all things macabre, find it tough to live in harmony with villagers. It’s Salem, and there are three women. You know witches are going to come along the way.
There’s a shift in time and, as we get bounced into the present, we see three teenage girls accidentally bringing the witches to life. Now they have to fight these lichen-haired, pointy-hat-wearing evil women and save their town.
The performances by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, who play the three witches, are delightfully over-the-top that are let down by weak writing. Beneath the inconsistent comedy and the attempts to sell a corporate brand through repeated product placements, however, there is still the faint pulse of a film that tries to take itself seriously, albeit in moments.
A case in point is the climactic moment when it shows evidence of evolution arcs for all its central characters. There’s even a tasteful tender moment involving the leader of the coven, the eldest sister Winifred Sanderson (Midler).
While Hocus Pocus 2 can’t quite be called a worthy comedy, viewers can do far worse. If one is feeling generous, this film that cashes in on nostalgia might just work.