"But it is forbidden!"
This belated Disney+ Original sequel to the beloved 1993 Halloween favourite kicks off in 17th-Century Salem with the Sanderson sisters' backstory, hitting the ground running with an energy and lightness of tone right from the start, before moving swiftly onto our new trio of modern-day high-school protagonists as they inadvertantly resurrect the legendary witches, whose mission is to survive beyond sunrise and gain ultimate magic powers. The level of constantly-present panto-style camp is just about acceptable - even a slightly eye-rolling parody of an Elton John favourite raises a wry smile - and like the original film it captures the spirit of Halloween effectively for the youngsters but with subtle updating that works well, such as the witches' early visit to a superstore. The return of the three original actresses as the Sanderson sisters (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) is the real selling point here, and the actresses are clearly having a (slightly over-the-top) whale of a time. The female-centric approach in the film is clear, and the new trio of children are acceptable enough, but this film misses the innocent charm of the originals. Ultimately, this is a reasonable modern upgrade to the original Hocus Pocus; it does not match the fun or sweetness of the original, but it is a solid family-friendly sequel that does its job effectively.
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