Two decades later, three witches return

The iconic movie Hocus Pocus, released in 1993, is a Halloween favorite for many. Now, there is a sequel to enjoy.

On Sept. 30, Hocus Pocus 2 was released. The movie begins in the 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts, where we are introduced to Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson as teenagers, before they became witches.

The story then follows two high schoolers, Becca (played by Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), who perform a fun birthday ritual every year. They light a candle as they do every year, but this year they wake up . . . the Sanderson sisters!

Nineteen years after the original Hocus Pocus movie, Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) come back for a second time to get revenge for being banished from Salem long ago.

All in all, Hocus Pocus 2 is great. Some parts in the movie are surprising and funny. In one scene, when Sarah pops up and scares Becca, this author jumped out of her seat.

The plot of the movie is interesting, especially when it shows how the Sanderson sisters originally became witches. The movie is also entertaining, mostly because there is a lot of singing and dancing, more than the original Hocus Pocus.

In Hocus Pocus 2, the setting also includes more modern times where we see students in their school environment.

Those are the good aspects of the movie, and there was only one downside. When the three witches were flying, a green screen seemed to be in use and sadly it all appeared too fake.

The ending was the best, but there will not be any spoilers here. Hocus Pocus 2 deserves five out of five stars. It has everything one would expect to see in a Halloween movie.