The Owens sisters are back on the big screen with “Practical Magic 2,” released Sept. 10. The sequel to “Practical Magic,” both starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, is a witty, over-the-top adventure filled with magic, humor and plenty of surprises.
The original “Practical Magic” based on Alice Hoffman’s novel of the same name, stars a youthful Bullock and Kidman as two witch sisters trying to overcome a family curse that dooms any man they fall in love with. The film first appeared in 1998 and quickly became a fan-favorite.
The original movie ended with the Owens women embracing their magic and celebrating their family, love, and sisterhood. In “Practical Magic 2,” the sisters have matured, but their personalities are still the same. After losing both men she had loved, Sally decides to stop practicing magic and keep her children, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), in the dark about the family’s magical quirks. Meanwhile, Gillian has remained the party girl with a questionable choice of men, which is actually what got them in trouble in the first movie.
Early in the film, Aunt Jet passes away on the night of her birthday party. The entire family is at her funeral when Kylie introduces the family to Gideon (Xolo Maridueña), a boy from college whom she’s fallen for. When Gideon is hit by a car and put into a coma, Kylie learns about the family curse from Gillian and decides to go to England to break it. There, she meets Tom Lockland (Solly McLeod), a mysterious man who offers to help her.
Although it is painfully obvious to everyone in the audience that this guy is incredibly suspicious, Kylie seems to blindly trust him. This is where King’s performance lost me.
King’s character is meant to portray the ignorance and vulnerability that comes with being a young adult. It’s an emotional time as she’s not only trying to navigate a new world with magic, but she is worried about her boyfriend, and unfortunately King does not sell that feeling.
You can tell that she is acting, which completely takes the audience out of the scene because it makes her character less believable. King’s demeanor and cadence throughout the film did not portray the young college student she was supposed to be. Her emotions, facial expressions and the lack of chemistry between her and McLeod made her acting feel unnatural.
However, unlike King, Kidman and Bullock did not disappoint.
Shortly after Kylie left for England, Gillian and Sally took off to help her. Once they arrived, they met Dr. Wright (Lee Pace), who helped the sisters find Kylie.
The three characters worked really well together, and their chemistry honestly made the movie. Kidman and Bullock fed off each other very well, making each scene so much fun to watch as a viewer, and Pace did a great job balancing the chemistry between the characters.
Unfortunately, the plot dragged longer than it had to, and the CGI effects were overly dramatic and felt out of place — especially compared to the first movie. Near the end of the film, there is a “battle” scene where Sally, Gillian, and Kylie fight Tom Lockland. This scene was clearly meant to show the power of family, but it came off as a little cringy and over the top.
Despite this, the wittiness of Kidman and Bullock, mixed with some fun magical elements and adventure, made this a fun watch.
I've seen a lot of bad sequels, ones that are unnecessary or just completely miss the mark. This one, however, is a pleasant addition to the original. I loved seeing Kidman and Bullock step into these roles again and tie up loose ends from the first movie.
It’s a movie about witches trying to break a love curse. It’s supposed to be a light watch, not a groundbreaking film that bleeds cinematic excellence. If that is what you are looking for, don’t bother buying a ticket. But if you want a movie you can snuggle up and watch during the fall season, then I think this one would be a great addition to your fall movie list.
