Get Focused on Hocus Pocus

Spooky season is here and after 29 years, the fall classic “Hocus Pocus” has now gotten its sequel. The first movie originally started as a bedtime story made by David Kirschner, the producer of Hocus Pocus, for his daughters. Surprisingly when the movie first came out the reviews were very mixed, as some people felt the acting was childish and the storyline was messy. The budget for the movie was so tight, the director thought that the movie wasn’t going to do well.

   The second movie was released on September 30, 2022. As you could expect, the feedback on this movie is also very diverse, with some people saying it was very compelling and silly, while others claim it wasn’t as good as the original. After waiting almost three decades for a sequel, people’s expectations were high and most felt let down believing it didn’t live up to all the anticipated hype. The best part of Hocus Pocus 2, in my opinion, was the flashbacks in the beginning, because you get to know more about the iconic Sanderson sisters’ and how they became witches. You start to connect with them on a deeper level when you see how they have only ever had each other. Understanding why they are so close really gives you insight as to why they have stuck together for so long even if they don’t always see eye-to-eye. The movies definitely share the same comical, childish tone. While watching the movie, we personally felt a sense of nostalgia due to all of the references to the first movie.

   For those who are Hocus Pocus fans, you might recognize this famous and familiar line from the movie, “It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus!” This is a line that was used to add comedy in the first movie and was referenced again in the sequel. This very line is actually what inspired the title of the movie.

    Though we enjoyed Hocus Pocus 2, we don’t think it lived up to the great standards that the original Hocus Pocus previously set. It’s always hard to top a classic!