56
Metascore
32 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83ColliderMaggie LovittColliderMaggie LovittIt summons the magic of nostalgia with laughs, heart, and music, and perfectly satisfies the heart of audiences trying to rekindle the past.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonSan Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonUltimately, Hocus Pocus 2 operates as a cheerful throwback to the 1980s/early ’90s genre of plucky kids saving small-town America from existential danger, a vibe tapped into by not just the original “Hocus Pocus” but such classics as “Gremlins,” “Back to the Future” and “The Goonies.”
- 72CNETRichard TrenholmCNETRichard TrenholmThe reunited Midler, Najimy and Parker running amok (amok, amok, amok) bring enough of that ol' black magic to carry this whimsical caper and keep it from feeling like too much of a cash-in.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreI’d say Parker, Najimy and Midler all did a great public service coming back to these characters and deserve the thanks of a grateful nation for giving this their all, giving us a few laughs and a lot of grins and giving legions of little girls Disney role models who aren’t princesses waiting around for some prince to get a clue.
- 63The Associated PressLindsey BahrThe Associated PressLindsey BahrDirected by Anne Fletcher, Hocus Pocus 2 goes down easy — though by the time the entire town breaks out into a dance to “One Way or Another,” you may be ready for the film to get where it’s going. Still, it’s a fun enough ride for a fall night.
- Some new elements do work . . . But Hocus Pocus 2’s best parts are familiar and beloved to fans of the original movie.
- Hocus Pocus 2 (minus one shoulder shrug of a musical number) uses the franchise’s witchcraft and world-building to earnestly explore timely themes of identity and inclusivity, for a follow-up that fans may begrudgingly concede is better than the original.
- 50Screen RantFerdosa AbdiScreen RantFerdosa AbdiThe story is simply a rehash of the first film, and even the jokes begin to fall flat well before the halfway point. Hocus Pocus 2 is enjoyable, but it doesn't quite live up to the lightning-in-a-bottle moment that was the 1993 film.
- 50SlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiSlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiWhen there is no actual conflict, the film's already low stakes start to feel meaningless, and the characters' bumbling hijinks around town start to feel tiresome. Conflict is necessary to inject urgency into a film, and as a result, Hocus Pocus 2 starts to really flag halfway through, once the shine of nostalgia starts to fade and Midler, Parker, and Najimy start to run out of musical numbers to perform.