Legacy sequels are a risky business. 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections underperformed, as did 2010’s Tron: Legacy. It was 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick that broke the mold; shattering box office records and exceeding industry expectations. Along with the massive success of 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the proof was in the cinematic pudding that what’s old can be new again. Coming 28 years after the modestly successful original, Practical Magic 2 has charm, but is damaged by a sloppy screenplay and a final act that is as desperate as it is dull.
Griffin Dunne’s 1998 comedy, Practical Magic, wasn’t a financial success in theaters, but achieved a cult following as the years progressed. Dunne’s film had charm, becoming a passable diversion that benefited from the talents of stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing. Upon its release, the movie failed to leave an immediate impression. ‘Twas nostalgia that kept it alive.
Practical Magic 2 is the sequel no one asked for. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return comfortably to their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing follow suit as Aunts Jet and Franny. The plot focuses on the new generation of Owens women, Sally’s daughters, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams).
Both daughters are now grown and making their way through the world. Sally has kept their witch powers a secret, as she doesn’t want their lives to carry such a burden. The reason for the deceit is due to the Owens family curse where anyone they love, dies. The fact that Sally keeps the magical abilities from her daughters is one of the film’s many flaws. Do the screenwriters hope fans have forgotten the first film where Kylie and Antonia’s childhood was surrounded by magic almost every day? A mistake such as this is an insult to the film’s core audience.
As the plot begins to brew, the film introduces Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña). Once they declare their mutual love for one another, Gideon is (surprise!) hit by a car and put into a coma. Gillian urges Sally to tell her daughters of the curse and of their inner powers. Of course, this causes Kylie to become angry at her mom and a divide between them is born.
The goofy plot gets more ridiculous as Kylie searches for a spell to save her beloved. Her search leads her to the Book of Ravens, which may hold the key to breaking the family’s curse and saving Gideon.
The idiot plot (a term coined by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel) continues as Kylie heads to England where she meets a young farm worker named Thomas Lockland (Solly McLeod, hamming it up). Thomas is eager to help Kylie track down the leads contained in the book. Is something sinister afoot? Have you ever seen a movie?
The very definition of an unnecessary side plot comes when Sally and Gillian head to England to meet Ian Wright (Lee Pace, in search of something to do). Wright is a scholar in the dark arts who helps the sisters in their time of need. Tattooed and ambiguously dangerous, the only reason for the character to exist is for Sally to fall for him. After the death of two husbands due to the Owens curse, one would imagine she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for anyone. Due to plot contrivance, one would be incorrect.
Writers Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel seem to have many ideas, but their screenplay is, at once, undercooked and all over the place. There was a charm to the first film that Practical Magic 2 cannot find. Bullock does her usual shtick and she’s good at it, but her lines are so perfunctory that the actress isn’t allowed room to shine.
A greater fate befalls Nicole Kidman. Gillian has nothing to do. The character breezes in and out of scenes with no real purpose other than to remind viewers of the first film. When she and Bullock twice repeat the line, “My blood. Your blood. Our blood.”, it fails to have the emotional energy achieved in the 1998 original.
Another of the film’s biggest issues is how it portrays Sally and Gillian. A screenwriter invested in these characters would surely want to see them evolve. The sisters haven’t changed at all. This is lazy writing that relies on personality rather than character development.
Joey King gets some good scenes that highlight the range of her acting abilities, but Maisie Williams gets the shaft. The screenplay keeps her at Gideon’s bedside for most of the film’s overlong run time. Williams is talented, yet the movie forces her to hang around a hospital room while the plot moves on without her.
The film achieves a couple of warm moments, courtesy of Wiest and Channing. Their characters were the best thing about part one. While they don’t get enough screen time, the same can be said here.
Griffin Dunne does not return to the director’s chair. The sequel is helmed by Emmy winner Susan Bier. Where Dunne achieved a nice aura of female bonding and empowerment, Bier’s direction plods along with no energy. The woman behind the Oscar winning foreign language film, After the Wedding, is very much a director-for-hire on this sequel. It is a shame that such a female-driven piece didn’t burst with energy.
Every shot, every edit, and every single frame is workmanlike. By the time we get to the big finale, the scene becomes a frustrating mishmash of bad dialogue and cheap looking special effects. It is a shame to see such talented performers hindered by such a terrible script.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman make a delightful pair and their chemistry in the first movie was infectious. Acting legends Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing bring gravitas to almost any film. Their combined skills hold limitless potential. Alas…
Practical Magic 2 relies on the good graces of the fandom while insulting their dedication with a bad script.
A disservice to all involved.
Practical Magic 2
Written by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel
Directed by Susan Bier
Cast Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Solly McLeod, Xolo Maridueña
PG-13, 130 Minutes, Warner Brothers Pictures
