1993’s, Hocus Pocus, holds the title of “cult classic” for a reason. 

The original, Hocus Pocus, has been a staple Halloween movie in many households for years, with its juvenile humor and high energy musical numbers, while still maintaining a very impactful message of familial love and obligation, with a hint of a brewing romance.

The original Hocus Pocus is a story about teenager Max Dennison, a new resident of Salem, Massachusetts, who lights the Black Flame Candle that raises an evil 17th century coven of witches from the dead. Max, along with his younger sister, Dani, and their friend Alisson, must keep the witches from eating childrens’ souls before sunrise, or the witches will live forever.

“As the years have gone by, the idea of revisiting the movie kind of snowballed,” actress Bette Midler told a Vanity Fair reporter.

This year, Disney+ has released the sequel to the beloved movie, Hocus Pocus 2. It is the story of teenager Becca (Whitney Peak), and her two best friends, Cassie Traske (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belinda Escobedo), who accidentally relight the Black Flame Candle, bringing back the evil 17th century Sanderson sister witches from the original movie. They must keep them from brewing a potion that will render them immortal for all eternity, while mending friendships and discovering new dormant powers.

The sequel brought back the iconic Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler), Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy), played by the original actresses, just as masterfully and jovial as they did the first time.

The extensive and loyal fan base is what carries on the Hocus Pocus craze. So, many die hard fans had mixed reactions when they watched Hocus Pocus 2.

“The movie delivers on nostalgia through its attention to detail and maintaining the Hocus Pocus campiness”, Rotten Tomatoes Critic Kimi Robinson wrote. 

Many welcomed the sequel with open arms and believed it had the perfect nostalgia factor for the older generation, while delivering on aspects of current pop culture.

“Like many fan favorite follow-ups, Hocus Pocus 2 is trapped somewhere between different times, audiences and tones…” Rotten Tomatoes Critic Benjamin Lee wrote.

Meanwhile, there were some who felt the original shouldn’t have been touched.

“I didn’t like how they randomly broke into song and dance so it made no sense and overall I liked the original better,” junior Emily Barreto said.

The sequel is a new take on an old cult classic and brought in modern music and references, such as the rendition musical number sung by the Sanderson sisters to the song of “One Way or Another”, by One Direction, as well as 21st century slang.

“I loved the rendition of One way or Another, and I liked all the elements they brought back from the original,” Junior Andrea Comas-Sanchez said.

However, there are still many parallels for the sentimental type. The sisters have the same iconic costumes, walk, and chant. The movie also makes allusions to the first one with extras dressing up for Halloween as characters from the first movie and watching clips of the first movie on tv.

“It summons the magic of nostalgia with laughs, heart, and music, and perfectly satisfies the heart of audiences trying to rekindle the past,” IMDb Critic Maggie Lovett wrote.

The new movie answers questions from the first one such as introducing Mother Witch (Hannah Waddingham), who is praised by the sisters many times in the first movie. 

It also somewhat played devil’s advocate in giving some backstory to the sisters origin of power and how they came to be, showing they were not always villains.

“I loved the flashback to their childhood because it made me like the Sanderson sisters more and it made them less evil,” said Comas-Sanchez. 

A flashback to the witches’ tough childhoods, lends itself to viewers finding empathy for the sisters, as well as strengthens the sisterly theme of the movie.

It still has a theme of familial love throughout the course of the film, just as the first movie, but instead focuses on the love of the sister’s, rather than the kids.

The film also takes a more feminist approach with themes of sisterly bonds as well as almost an all leading female cast. 

With the returning Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, as well as the new leading ladies, Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, and Belinda Escobedo, the movie emphasizes the magical and metaphorical power of strong women.

“It’s been the most unexpected and rewarding role of my career,” Midler told a Vanity Fair reporter. “So many people have come up to me and said they grew up watching the movie.”

The sequel tied up loose ends from the old movie, with an end credit scene leaving itself open to becoming a trilogy, and a new cult classic.