Back in 1993, Disney released “Hocus Pocus” a film about witches revived on Halloween to terrorize Salem, Massachusetts. This Halloween cult classic returns for a sequel that takes the first film’s atmosphere, humor and characters to create a lovely continuation of the series.

For background, the Disney Halloween movie released in the summer of 1993 lost around 20 million dollars on the opening weekend. Although It failed at making money, it quickly became a must-watch cult classic and made 44 million dollars to date.

Both films start off by showing the lives of the three witches before their execution in Salem. The second film differs from the first by featuring a friend group of three teenage girls as the main characters instead of a less-than-cool teenage boy trying to impress his crush. The movie showed off plenty of callbacks and references for longtime fans of the first film.

“I expect from the sequel that the witches will be more successful in their plan than the last time, a bit of a different character, and new vehicles, along with a different modern environment like cities and all the latest technology,” junior Berlett Ortega said.

The three actors for the witches reprise their roles as the nasty witches 30 years later. Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy obviously aged but that did not stop them from performing great as the three Sanderson sisters. Their age did not influence the final result but added to the personality of the old wicked witch characters they play.

In contrast to the theater release in 1993, “Hocus Pocus 2” was released only on Disney plus September 30. The 30-year gap between these movies brings advanced computer-generated imagery (CGI) and polished filming techniques to the table, allowing the film to push its creativity and look more visually pleasing.

“This was a dream come true, it really was. After I realized it was actually a phenomenon, I started asking people around my age, ‘Don’t you think they would be interested in a sequel?’ This was a long time ago. This was like 15 years ago, or something like that. And here we are,’’ actress Bette Midler said.

The movie’s use of practical effects and humor mirrors feature films created during the ‘90s that gave rise to classic movies such as “The Sandlot”, “Home Alone” and other widely known family comedies. 

The atmosphere of a festive Halloween night littered with ghosts and ghouls perfectly fits the atmosphere for a silly and spooky adventure. Accompanied by parties and a couple of musicals, the movie makes sure the audience always sees a spectacle.

So far “Hocus Pocus 2” became the most viewed movie premiere on Disney plus. Although the original film did not perform well at first, it eventually became a household name. Overall “Hocus Pocus 2” creates more than an entertaining experience for old fans and new viewers. Old folklore with a mix of modern technology allows for a great film to hit the screen.

The Chant’s Grade: B+