'Hocus Pocus 2' review: Beloved Halloween cult classic loses its magic

'Hocus Pocus 2' succeeds in showing that not every popular movie needs a starry sequel decades after the fact. – Photos: Disney Hotstar

By the time the witchy Sanderson sisters become enchanted by the electronic doors at a Walgreens drug store, you realise just how wickedly off course Hocus Pocus 2 has gone.

The 1993 Halloween cult classic starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy was a mostly forgettable dud with some safe and fun kid-friendly high jinks. Compared to the terribly unnecessary new sequel, the OG Hocus Pocus might as well be a classic from the Universal monsters canon. Directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal), the follow-up fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved '90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.