Once upon a time there were three sisters living in Salem at the time of the witches who, accused of practicing black magic, had been condemned to be hanged. But before pushing their last breath, they had cast a curse that would allow them to return to have fun among humans. Hence their accidental resurrection in 1993, recounted in Abracadabra (VF of Hocus Pocus) by Kenny Ortega.
Despite some nice musical numbers and the presence in the credits of the already iconic Bette Midler and a pre-Sex and the City but already very classy, the feature film, with its simple humor, its scenario as disheveled as its (anti) heroines and its vague genre, divided critics and the public. Much of the premiere saw it as a complete miss. The latter loved it… especially after the fact: the box office was indeed not remarkable, but, like a fairy godmother, word of mouth got involved, fueled by the regular distribution of the feature film at the television where he resuscitated in the fall as often as Ben Hur at Easter.
The Turnip (or its neighbor, the Pumpkin) has thus achieved cult film status. The curse has been lifted. And, in many homes, this family-horrifying whimsical comedy has become a staple of Halloween celebrations. No need to be a wizard to predict that a sequel was being prepared in the cauldrons of Disney.
There she is, Abracadabra 2 (VF of Hocus Pocus 2) by Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses, The Proposal). A good-natured film that will speak to fans from the start: today parents (or aunts, uncles, etc.), they will have the opportunity, 29 years after their meeting with the Sanderson sisters, to do it again in the company of their offspring (or nephews, nieces, etc.). The date is all the more sympathetic as it is carried by the original trio – Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy (soap dish, Sister Act) — aided by a zombie… kid-friendly and played by Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) who, however, knows and can scare.
As a bonus, this return allows us to discover the origins of the three witches and, suddenly, to dig (slightly, but still) the vein of emotion. Especially since around the “infernal” trio is a cast of higher caliber than that of the original film: Tony Hale (VEEP) embodies the mayor of Salem, a direct descendant of the reverend with whom the sis once had a fight; Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso), owner of the magic shop; Whitney Peak (gossip girl), a teenager fascinated by magic.
And then there are the energetic musical numbers, a more assertive feminist subtext and winks of a crisp contemporaneity – as when, during a Sanderson sisters impersonation contest, the rivals of the “real” witches are drag queens Ginger Minj, Kornbread Jeté and Kahmora Hall (well known to fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race).
And if the result is in no way transcendent, the whole thing is fun and smiling, to the point where you don’t even bat an eyelid when you guess, without even having a crystal ball, that you won’t have to wait 30 years for a- sequel.