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When Practical Magic arrived in 1998, it stumbled at the box office. Yet the film found unexpected life through home video releases, streaming platforms, and social media enthusiasm, eventually earning cult classic status. Now, 28 years later, a sequel has arrived with the original stars returning and the iconic coastal Massachusetts home rebuilt to capitalise on nostalgia.
Practical Magic 2 picks up shortly after the events of the first film, with Sally Owens (Bullock) widowed again after her second husband falls victim to the family curse that claims the lives of all men who love an Owens woman. She forces her sister Gillian (Kidman) and their aunts to swear secrecy about their magical abilities and casts a spell to erase her daughters’ memories of their witchy childhoods. Years later, when those daughters—Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams)—become adults interested in romance, the curse strikes once more, sending Sally and Gillian to England to protect Kylie from dark magic.
The problem, according to the Jamaica Gleaner’s review, is that the sequel abandons the blend of campy fun and darkness that made the original work. Where the first film forged a pentagram with whipped cream, the sequel uses fire. The original balanced elements reminiscent of Death Becomes Her and Halloweentown, but the new film sacrifices that whimsy for a genuinely spooky undertone that feels mismatched. Gone are the lighter moments—like Bullock recruiting PTA moms for a coven or Kidman’s witty warnings to neighbours—that made the original’s scarier beats more palatable.
The cast delivers strong performances throughout. Bullock and Kidman provide comedic highlights, while Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, and King carry the emotional weight. Lee Pace impresses as a charming British scholar of witchcraft who becomes both an ally and romantic interest for Sally. The bond between Bullock and Kidman, who are friends offscreen and both have worked with director Susanne Bier, helps sustain the 130-minute runtime.
The film maintains the original’s strengths in its soundtrack and score, with Stevie Nicks returning and Harry Nilsson’s "Coconut" featured. Yet these elements cannot fully compensate for the tonal shift that undermines what made the first film endearing. Rated PG-13 for violent content, suggestive material, and brief strong language, Practical Magic 2 earns two stars out of four.
The original Practical Magic (1998) starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as members of the Owens family of witches. Though it underperformed initially, the film found renewed popularity through home video, streaming services, and social media, becoming a beloved cult classic over the decades.
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