Review : Hocus Pocus 2 – Is this long awaited sequel worth the watch ?

By Montez Taylor

On September 30th, 2022 almost 30 years later Disney released the long awaited sequel ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ and although it may not be better than the classic it is definitely worth the watch. 

Disney first released the original ‘Hocus Pocus’ in 1993 and the movie has been a staple to Halloween ever since. As a kid growing up watching Disney movies constantly so this release was very important to me. 

The movie was very premeditated and was being held at a very high standard from many fans. According to gamerant.com  “Fans have been waiting for a proper follow-up for decades –  the new Hocus Pocus 2 came just in time to get fans hyped up for Disney's long-awaited sequel” 

The movie really brings a family-friendly atmosphere and would be great for a spooky family movie night as it brings dancing, singing, laughs and of course spookiness. It was also very exciting to see the original Sanderson sisters from the original Hocus Pocus as well. 

The movie highlights the backstory of the Sanderson sisters as they were kids in Salem. It highlights the troubles they went through as children and also explains how they became a coven of witches. It was cool to see their origins expand in the sequel which added something new to the story. 

Although the storyline was well executed, throughout the movie it felt like the Sanderson sisters were fillers and not the main focus of the story. Instead the movie focused more on Becca, the main protagonist, along with her best friend Izzy as they try to find ways to stop the Sanderson sisters from taking over Salem once again. 

Because of voice changes and the absence of main characters from the original movie this sequel just didn’t hit home for me like it was intended to but overall the movie’s plot and overall message of good vs. evil was good for not only kids but also adults to see. 

Even with a modern spin off to the halloween classic ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is definitely worth the watch to get into the halloween spirit.