{"id":9854,"date":"2022-10-04T03:56:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T10:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=9854"},"modified":"2022-10-27T14:25:06","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T21:25:06","slug":"hocus-pocus-2-lock-up-your-children-the-wicked-sanderson-sisters-are-back-in-the-comedic-sequel-to-the-1993-film-hocus-pocus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2022\/hocus-pocus-2-lock-up-your-children-the-wicked-sanderson-sisters-are-back-in-the-comedic-sequel-to-the-1993-film-hocus-pocus\/","title":{"rendered":"Hocus Pocus 2 * Lock Up Your Children &#8211; The Wicked Sanderson Sisters Are Back In The Comedic Sequel To The 1993 Film Hocus Pocus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Hocuspocus2.poster.jpg?resize=102%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9862\" width=\"102\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Hocuspocus2.poster.jpg?resize=203%2C300&amp;ssl=1 203w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Hocuspocus2.poster.jpg?w=405&amp;ssl=1 405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 102px) 100vw, 102px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, \u201cLock up your children and grab some salt just in case! Just in time for Halloween, the wicked Sanderson sisters are back in Hocus Pocus 2, the live-action, comedy sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus. The musical performances in this film are to die for.\u201d Mikella G. adds, \u201cThe execution of this film is outstanding. Although it is a sequel, this movie truly lives up to the original. It continues the story with a modern twist, and still has that same nostalgic feeling. Years have passed, but watching this movie takes you right back, and the Sanderson Sisters weave their way back to the top.\u201d See their full review below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hocus Pocus 2<br>By Tiana S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rDEXwnJnFnE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-05835_R3.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9856\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-05835_R3.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-05835_R3.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-05835_R3.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>(L-R): Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. \u00a9 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Lock up your children and grab some salt just in case! Just in time for Halloween, the wicked Sanderson sisters are back in&nbsp;<em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>, the live-action, comedy sequel to the 1993 film <em>Hocus Pocus<\/em>.&nbsp;The musical performances in this film are to die for.<br><br><em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>&nbsp;follows the Sanderson sisters &#8212; Winifred \u201cWinnie\u201d (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), as they seek revenge on the town that cast them away &#8230; again. It\u2019s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17<sup>th<\/sup>-century sisters, and they have a spell to settle. Three high-school students accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern-day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-11409_R4.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9861\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-11409_R4.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-11409_R4.jpg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-11409_R4.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney&#8217;s live-action HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. \u00a9 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This film is perfect to get you in the Halloween spirit. In this sequel, we finally learn the origin of the Sanderson sisters, which helps us understand why they are who they are, why the sisters were banned from Salem as youngsters, and why they became involved in witchcraft. I love that the original actors who played the sisters reprised their roles here. With this film taking place 29 years later, it makes for hilarious moments watching the sisters get familiar with the \u201cnew town,\u201d such as watching them search for new beauty products to become younger and having young fans wanting to take selfies with them. The Sanderson\u2019s spell-bounding rendition and performance of \u201cOne Way of Another\u201d (<em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>\u00a0Version) they sing to the residents at the festival is entertaining and original.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HocusPocus2.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9855\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HocusPocus2.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HocusPocus2.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HocusPocus2.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HocusPocus2.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>&nbsp;is about friendship, sisterhood, and forgiveness. Many of their issues are resolved once the trio realizes what is most important to them and stop holding grudges. Even the high school teenagers have to realize they are better together than apart. This film also highlights the importance of reading labels and ALL of the instructions and spells; otherwise, you may miss an important warning. Parents should be aware of the reference to virgins that have to light the Black Flame Candle (but with a hilarious \u201cparent-like\u201d definition), which will probably have kids asking more questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>\u00a0gets 4 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults.\u00a0I recommend\u00a0watching the original film, since\u00a0this one has plenty of references to Hocus Pocus.\u00a0<em>Hocus Pocus 2<\/em>\u00a0is available now, exclusively on Disney+.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hocus Pocus 2<br>By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/49KHCwAE9Ck?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-09122_R.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9860\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-09122_R.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-09122_R.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-09122_R.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>(L-R): Nina Kitchen as Young Mary, Taylor Henderson as Young Winifred, and Juju Brener as Young Sarah in HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. \u00a9 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>An exciting, heartwarming and nostalgic adventure, this film brings back old memories of day-one fans, and will captivate and capture a new audience as well through its wild fun journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hocus Pocus 2 returns to Salem, Massachusetts where it all began. It follows the original film, after years have passed with the Sanderson Sisters being nothing but a spooky story. However, not everyone believes that they are just a myth, particularly Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lilia Buckigham), who are three teenage girls that have always had a fascination with magic and witches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Halloween they find themselves doing their yearly spell rituals, expecting nothing from them, when they accidentally find themselves bringing back the iconic Sanderson Sisters. The girls now must find a way to stop the child-hungry sisters from finding a way to stay alive forever.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-08487_R4C.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9859\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-08487_R4C.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-08487_R4C.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/HP2-08487_R4C.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>(L-R): Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, and Tony Hale as Mayor Traske in HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. \u00a9 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The execution of this film is outstanding. Although it is a sequel, this movie truly lives up to the original. It continues the story with a modern twist, and still has that same nostalgic feeling. Years have passed, but watching this movie takes you right back, and the Sanderson Sisters weave their way back to the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s evident that Director Anne Fletcher fully understands the nostalgic feeling of this sequel, which we see in every aspect of the film. Another thing that really stands are the costumes. The time put into each and every detail is magnificent and all the accessories and outfits are so personal to each character; that is something that I personally really appreciate and adore! Lastly, I truly enjoy the constant comedic moments. This movie really gives the audience a good laugh. They really take into account the difference of a new generation watching this and play a lot with that aspect in the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message of Hocus Pocus 2 is that \u201cin the end, nothing is worth it if you don\u2019t have those you love most there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hocus Pocus 2 gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. You can watch Hocus Pocus 2 now on Disney Plus+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/idc0EOmKr30?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, \u201cLock up your children and grab some salt just in case! Just in time for Halloween, the wicked Sanderson sisters are back in Hocus Pocus 2, the live-action, comedy sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus. The musical performances in this film are to die for.\u201d See her full review below.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critic Tiana S. comments, \u201cLock up your children and grab some salt just in case! Just in time for Halloween, the wicked Sanderson sisters are back in Hocus Pocus 2, the live-action, comedy sequel to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus. The musical performances in this film are to die for.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4949,15],"tags":[5793,5791,5785,5783,682,5781,464,5798,869,5795,5787,2444,5788,5780,5784,5786,5776,5792,5797,5782,5778,5796,5790,5775,5777,5789,5779,344,5794],"class_list":["post-9854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-adam-shankman","tag-all-hallows-eve","tag-anne-fletcher","tag-belisa-escobedo","tag-bette-midler","tag-black-flame-candle","tag-comedy","tag-david-kirschner","tag-disney-2","tag-doug-jones","tag-froy-gutierrez","tag-halloween","tag-hannah-waddingham","tag-hocus-pocus-2","tag-jen-dangelo","tag-juju-brener","tag-kathy-najimy","tag-lilia-buckingham","tag-lynn-harris","tag-nina-kitchen","tag-original-movie","tag-ralph-winter","tag-salem","tag-sam-richards","tag-sanderson-sisters","tag-sarah-jessica-parker","tag-taylor-paige-henderson","tag-tony-hale","tag-whitney-peak"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-2yW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9854"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9918,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9854\/revisions\/9918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}