Movie Number 35 of 2026
The Movie: Practical Magic 2
The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes
Stars: 4
I've always loved the film Practical Magic (1998). I mean, what's not to love? Witches and love and curses and Margaritas. I'm in. Regardless, I went into the sequel with some trepidation. After seeing the truly dire The Devil Wears Prada 2, I was wondering how they could bollocks this up.
Thankfully, they didn't.
This has a couple of things going for it. Firstly, this is based on a book - The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman. Secondly, she had something to do with the writing of the script was written by women (Akiva Goldsman had a hand in writing the first film). So, we're off to a good start. It's also not a carbon copy of the original film. Thank goodness.
The movie starts two decades after the last film finished. Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) has not let her children, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams) that they are witches. The Owens course, where none of the family are lucky in love, or if they do partner, the partner dies a premature death.
Sally's sister, Gillian (Nicole Kidman) is her happy-go-lucky self, but Sally has shut herself away from love, and to a point, life.
Their aunts, Jet (Dianne Weist) and Franny (Stockard Channing) are still kicking around. It's sighting of a death watch beetle that urges one of them to find a book that can help to reverse the family curse, especially after young Kylie falls in love and her love is put in peril.
I don't need to say more about the plot, other than the sisters end up in England and meet up with Ian Wright (Lee Pace) - an academic who has the knowledge to help them out.
As I said earlier, as sequels go, this is not bad. The script is good, the acting good, sure there are a few hiccups, but nothing that is too jarring. To be honest, I just sat back and enjoyed this perfect Friday night film fodder.
One other thing, the director of this film, Susanne Bier, has directed some fantastic films - including one of my favourites, After the Wedding (2006). It's the Danish film that introduced me to Mads Mikkelsen - it's also a fabulous film if you want something really different. Bier knows what she's doing.
I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel. It's go enough heart, wit, fun and drama to keep me occupied and engaged. I cried at the end too.
And yeah, it's about witches. I'm just supporting my tribe.
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