Perhaps one of the most notorious Halloween movies in recent years is “Hocus Pocus,” a 1993 cult classic that has become a holiday staple due to its star-studded cast and comedy. I will admit that I have been swept up in the Hocus Pocus fever. This Halloween, I have resolved to watch Hocus Pocus every day of October to celebrate. Two weeks in, and I’m still going strong. Seeing as I now have over a dozen watches of this movie under my belt, I’d say I’m enough of an expert to give a review of this movie.
Anyone will tell you that Hocus Pocus is by no means deep cinema. Its charm isn’t in emotional storytelling or powerful cinematography. No, its charm is in its stupidity, plain and simple. Spearheaded by none other than director Kenny Ortega, everyone should know going into this movie that they’re going to watch shameless, unrepentant fun. This movie is so great and such a cultural mainstay because it is pure fun. It’s amusing, and that’s all it needs to be. Fortunately, it delivers marvelously on that front.
The best part of this movie is the three witches who are the antagonists that everyone wants to win at the end. Witches Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson return to the land of the living after being persecuted during the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century, but 300 years into the future. Not only must they try to find a way to survive and last in the living world again, but they have to adapt to how much technology has changed three centuries later. Half of the comedy from this movie derives from these sisters trying to adjust to modern life, since they get confangled by things such as sprinklers, busses, paved roads and the very concept of Halloween trick-or-treating itself. These sisters and their antics constitute a great portion of the movie’s appeal.
But as the film’s antagonists, that means they must be defeated by a group of moral superiors. Unfortunately, this is where the film lacks. The protagonists are a new kid on the block, his sister and his crush. The new kid around doesn’t believe in Halloween, but his little sister and his crush are both Halloween fanatics, so they try to make a believer out of him. Of course, as they have to fight to protect Salem from the witches stealing the life force of children, the protagonists are the source of the movie’s heart. Heartwarming brother-sister storylines and the sacrifices family will make for each other, and then a sweet slow-burn romance between the city boy and a small town girl are two points that this movie tries to capitalize on in addition to the dysfunctional comedy of the three witches. But does it actually succeed? I find the scenes with the protagonists to be incredibly dull and unwelcoming. This half of the movie suffers from bad child actors and stale plot points that makes viewers miss the scenes with the witches.
The witches are undoubtedly the best part of this movie. With the incredible trio of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker playing the three sisters, every scene with these three bewitches the audience and leaves them enthralled by their charm and humor. Most of the movie’s best and most quotable lines come from the sisters. The best scenes include the sisters as well. One of the pinnacles of this movie lies in the musical number performed by Winifred with the support of Mary and Sarah, a performance which quite literally puts the fictional audience into a trance to dance until they die. So much effort was put into the sisters in this film, to the point where it’s baffling where they seem to have so little screen time in comparison to the boring protagonists. So many scenes were scrapped as revealed in the 25th anniversary edition of this movie, most of which included more witchly antics. It really makes me wonder how much more I would enjoy this movie if the focus got moved off those pesky kids.
Even with its faults, “Hocus Pocus” is a classic for a reason. It is a hilarious movie, and low-stakes and good fun for anyone who wants something interesting to watch for two hours. It’s no surprise that everyone wants a sequel, and considering that all three Sanderson sisters have expressed interest in returning to their roles, I hope they return to bewitch a new generation of people in the 21st century this time. 9.3/10
