It only took 38 years, but I finally found a Sarah Jessica Parker role I did not mind. Parker is one of three witches who were killed during the 17th century. Along with her sisters Winifred (Bette Midler) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), the trio will be brought back to life for one night in the 1990s.
Times have changed, but curses have not. The entire story hinges that the witches need to catch as many kids as possible to break their curse before the sun comes up. Seems like an easy task, except kids these days are so much smarter than centuries ago.
This film worked in 1993 because the humour and acting were on par with movie standards of the day. Hocus Pocus would not fly with today’s audiences, kids and adults included.
As a kid myself, when this film was released, I can appreciate what they did. The only drawback I had while watching this movie the other day was I kept thinking about The Witches, which came out just three years prior. There is nothing that connects the two, except they are about witches.
It made me chuckle a bit to think about how Disney turned one of the darkest urban legends into a kid-friendly family movie. The majority of adults have been spooked once of twice around Halloween about Salem’s witches who were burnt at stake. The same witches in Hocus Pocus are not as evil as you would think. They still want to gobble up kids for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but their approach isn’t so sinister. Their charm will win you over. 5/10
Ten Stars or Less 