Hocus Pocus 2

Story

Becca (Whitney Peak) and her best friend, Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), go to their special spot in the woods outside Salem for a birthday ritual. Magic store owner and aspiring magician Gilbert (Sam Richardson) has given Becca a candle. Neither Gilbert nor the girls realise that it’s a replica of the legendary black flame candle, and it has the power to return Salem’s witches, the Sanderson sisters, to life.

When Becca and Izzy light the candle, it gives Winnie (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) another shot at immortality. The sisters are determined not to be fooled or side-tracked this time around, and they also vow to avenge themselves on the people of Salem.

The sisters plan to start with Becca and Izzy but soon notice that the Mayor of Salem (Tony Hale) is a direct descendant of their nemesis, a 16^th-century reverend, who tried to separate the sisters and force Winnie into an arranged marriage. When their plans to locate the Mayor go awry, the sisters give Gilbert a choice. He can either procure random ingredients for a spell that will make them all-powerful, or he can suffer a terrible death.

While Becca and Izzy try to keep the Mayor safe, they learn that his daughter and their estranged friend, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), is also in danger. When the witches abduct Cassie, Becca and Izzy follow her back to the woods. With the help of an unexpected ally, they try to save Cassie, themselves and Salem from the ever-present threat of the Sanderson sisters.

Themes

Child/teenage abduction and the concept of sucking the life out of children; witchcraft; revenge

Violence

Hocus Pocus 2 has some violence. For example:

A character roughly shoves people out of the way, knocking things over and making them spill things.
Young Winnie smashes a plate on the floor.
Young Winnie sets a reverend’s house on fire.
There’s a reference to a potion that was used to kill Emily Binx in 1693.
Sarah bemoans the fact that she won’t have as many children to lure to their death.
Winnie stomps on Sarah’s foot.
Mary tells the girls to stay close, so close that she could eat them.
Winifred shoots lightning from her hands. She tries to attack Becca, but her powers ricochet off the girl.
Winnie slaps her sisters and threatens Sarah.
Mary throws Izzy and Becca down the stairs and into a dungeon from which there’s no escape.
A flight of stairs collapses under Becca.
Winnie instructs others to dig up an old lover because she needs his head for a potion.
Winnie is about to kill a cat with her powers. She says, ‘Die, wretched feline!’ She’s stopped just before she blasts the animal.
The Sanderson sisters set off on a quest ‘for the Mayor’s blood’.
Gilbert tells a zombie to stay back and not to eat his brains. He enlists the zombie’s help by lying and saying that he’s doing a spell to kill Winifred forever.
Winnie grabs Sarah’s neck and squeezes it.
Becca crashes to the ground after struggling to restrain Winnie’s spell book.
Winnie throws a trophy at some judges before singing a song (‘I’m gonna snatch ya, grab ya, trip ya, rip ya ...’). This sends people into a trance and off to search for the Mayor on her behalf.
The witches blast down the door to Cassie’s house and threaten the girls inside. They move through the house with Mary ‘smelling children’.
Winnie ties to blast the girls.
Gilbert wrenches a zombie’s head off so the witches can use it for a spell.
Gilbert is told that the witches are still going to kill him.
Winnie stitches shut a zombie’s mouth.
Winnie cuts Cassie to get her blood and asks, ‘How would we torture her?’
Cassie is bound at the wrists and ankles, and Gilbert is shoved away.
Becca and Izzy throw things at the witches while they all try to zap them with newfound power.
Sarah and Mary zap Winnie while testing their powers.
Winnie continually attacks Becca with her powers, blasting at her while Becca maintains an invisible shield.

Sexual references

Hocus Pocus 2 has some sexual references. For example:

There are many references to virginity. For example, a virgin must light a black flame candle; Becca is shown to be a virgin because she successfully lights the flame; Gilbert is not a virgin; a small child asks, ‘What is a virgin?’ and so on.
Winnie, Sarah and Mary walk into a drag queen competition based on the Sanderson sisters.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Hocus Pocus 2 shows some use of substances. For example, Cassie has a house party on Halloween. It isn’t clear what teenagers are drinking.

Nudity and sexual activity

Hocus Pocus 2 has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

Winnie claims that one of Sarah’s past lovers was her soulmate.
There are several references to kissing, including kissing in a graveyard.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Hocus Pocus 2:

Two Rumbas (which Mary refers to as her ‘Roomies’) are shown and used in several scenes.
An Alexa terrifies the sisters at one point.

Coarse language

Hocus Pocus 2 has some coarse language, name-calling and insults, including ‘damn’, ‘nitwit’, ‘jerk’, ‘fool’, ‘simpleton’, ‘dunderhead’, ‘withering hag’, ‘pest’, ‘wretched troll’, ‘dolt’, ‘heck’, ‘lout’, ‘Satan’, ‘shut up’ and ‘directionless skeleton sack’.

Also, a character says she took the Lord’s name in vain twice.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Hocus Pocus 2 is Disney’s long-awaited sequel to 1993’s Hocus Pocus. Featuring some of the original cast as well as new actors, the movies explores the earlier years of the Sandersons, including their sisterly devotion. Pre-teens, teenagers and fans of the original are likely to enjoy Hocus Pocus 2.

These are the main messages from Hocus Pocus 2:

There’s strength in standing together.
Women and girls become stronger when they’re united.
Power is meant to be shared.

Values in Hocus Pocus 2 that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, loyalty, love, courage and sacrifice.

Hocus Pocus 2 could give you the chance to talk with your children about beliefs around witchcraft and Salem’s history. You could also talk about the real-life consequences of things like:

lighting candles in the woods
not being honest with your parents or getting their help when you’re in danger
having parties without permission.