There's a major flaw in Hocus Pocus 2 that the Practical Magic sequel needs to learn from

Practical magic is finally getting a sequel, and there's an important lesson to be learned from it Hocus Pocus 2The biggest mistakes. As the trend for legacy sequels and revivals grows stronger, more and more franchises and films are joining in, and one of the latest is this one Practical magic. Based on the book of the same name by Alice Hoffman and directed by Griffin Dunne, Practical magic takes viewers to a small town in Massachusetts to meet the Owens family, who carry a curse due to their ancestor, the witch Maria Owens: any man an Owens woman loves will die.

When the curse catches up with Sally (Sandra Bullock) and she becomes a widow and single mother, she moves back in with her aunts Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Frances (Stockard Channing). Some time later, Sally teams up with her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) to get rid of her toxic boyfriend, but after killing him in self-defense, they must deal with his return as an evil spirit. Now, over 20 years later, Practical magic is getting a sequel that follows the steps of another witch movie Hocus pocusBut Practical magic must learn from the biggest mistake Hocus Pocus 2: his flashbacks.

Hocus Pocus 2's flashbacks didn't benefit the Sanderson Sisters' story

Hocus Pocus 2 would have worked even without its flashbacks

The disappearance of the Sanderson Sisters at the end Hocus pocus was not their end, and they rose again Hocus Pocus 2 by the same method: A virgin lights the black flame candle under the full moon on Halloween. This time, the Sanderson sisters – Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) – did not want to take the children's life force, but instead cast the Magicae Maxima spells to obtain full, unlimited power. In addition to all of this, Hocus Pocus 2 also included flashbacks to the Sandersons' past.

These flashbacks took viewers back to 1653, when 16-year-old Winifred was banished for “defying the authority of the church” by refusing to marry. Not wanting to part, the Sandersons fled into the forest, where they met Mother Witch, who gave Winifred her spell book. While it was a fun look at the young Sanderson Sisters, these flashbacks left more questions about their past, especially their family and how they were able to return to Salem and stay there for many years to come.

Related

The problems I had with Hocus Pocus 2 (as a die-hard fan of the original)

While I think Hocus Pocus 2 is an entertaining movie for the spooky season, I have a few issues with it after how good the first movie was.

Hocus Pocus 2 could have worked without flashbacks and the warning about Magicae Maxima could have been included in Winifred's spell book. In the end, the flashbacks were painful Hocus Pocus 2 and the story of the Sanderson Sisters, like They also introduced contradictions to what the first film establishedand that is a mistake Practical Magic 2 must be avoided as it can easily fall in.

Practical Magic 2's story could easily use flashbacks (but it shouldn't)

Practical Magic 2 is based on the sequel to the book

Little is known about it Practical Magic 2 But so far this has proven to be the case It will adapt the sequel to the book titled The Book of Magic. Also written by Alice Hoffman, The Book of Magic was published in 2021 and reunites readers with Gillian, Sally, Frances and Jet Owens. In The Book of Magic, Aunt Jet hears the Death Beetle and announces that she only has seven days to livebut she's not the only one in danger. This sends the Owens women on a journey to where Maria Owens first practiced witchcraft, which leads to some discoveries in the family.

The Book of Magic is a family story like Practical magicbut since Aunt Jet's days are almost over, it would be very easy for Practical Magic 2 Using flashbacks to show Jet and Frances' past as well as the family's past. Practical Magic 2 doesn't need flashbacks and should focus entirely on the ongoing story of the Owens women and how this journey and these discoveries affect her now, rather than adding flashbacks that could complicate her backstory and create plot holes.

Practical Magic is a romantic fantasy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, who were born into a family of witches. The sisters live under a curse that condemns any man they fall in love with to a premature death. They navigate love, loss, and their magical legacy while dealing with family secrets and societal prejudices.

director

Griffin Dunne

Release date

October 16, 1998

Duration

104 minutes