Practical Magic 2 – Movie Review
1998’s Practical Magic felt like one of those movies that was always on TV in the early 2000s. I vividly remember the commercial spots with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Stevie Nicks’ ‘If You Ever Did Believe’ playing out the ad, which probably was the case for many of the fans who made the film into the cult classic it ended up becoming throughout the 2000s. Now, almost 30 years later, the Owens’ sisters reunite for a legacy sequel that devoted fans may enjoy, but does very little to charm audiences craving a fresher experience.
Taking place 25 years after the first film, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman), along with their eccentric witch aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest reprising their roles from the first film) and Sally’s daughters, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), navigate life, womanhood, and magic together in Massachusetts. But, a startling discovery about a curse that has haunted the Owens’ family for many generations forces them to travel to the United Kingdom, confront hidden secrets about their lineage, and protect their magic for the generations of Owens to come.
Not losing a single beat in their respective return to each character, the true highlight of Practical Magic 2 is the wonderful, joyous, heartfelt, and at times humourous dynamic between Bullock and Kidman. It’s clear they have a lot of care for these characters, and that does come through on screen as they navigate a new era of the Owens’ sisters lives. It’s impossible not to be swept up in the moments of the movie where tension gets between them because the performances are sincere, but also carry a lot of the charm and cheekiness that they brought to Sally and Gillian back in 1998.
Motherhood, and the intersection of parenting when your children have magical powers, is another interesting emotional element the film toys around with, which allows Bullock especially to explore a new depth of Sally as a character, but it is unfortunately an underdeveloped plot thread that becomes jumbled in the plethora of other underdeveloped narrative threads that feature in the film. This is where Practical Magic 2 falters the most, and the most noticeably.
Introducing Sally’s daughters so heavily into the plot should’ve made for an interesting and new addition for the story to venture off to. While the performances from King and Williams are solid, also highlighting a natural chemistry between the two, their story line is incredibly rushed through, feeling like these characters were added into the story for pure plot convenience and kicking off the second act adventure, rather than for sincere emotional progression for the other characters. Kylie and Antonia are almost dealing with the exact same issues that Sally and Gillian dealt with in the first film, but rather than finding a unique entry point into that exploration, their story line feels like a dull replica of story beats that were done previously.
With the jumbled narrative structure, underdeveloped character beats and constant back-and-forth between plot points, Practical Magic 2’s 130 minute runtime feels more like 180 minutes. Even with an extra 30 minutes on top of the original’s runtime to explore more elements of the new and old characters, it is surprising and frankly boring to see so many beats repeated without any deeper or different thematic exploration.
However, a saving grace of having to sit through the elongated film is that it is very sharply shot by director Susanne Bier. The stylistic, dynamic camera movement melds well with the magical tone that the story strives for. A visual highlight of the film is the Owens’ modern gothic home, brought to life by incredible production and set design, and Bier really captures a magical, homely feeling for this location. Plus, taking the action over to the United Kingdom brings a natural gothic feeling to the film overall.
As far as legacy sequels go, die-hard fans of the original film may find things to love in Practical Magic 2, specifically the natural and joyous chemistry that Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock so easily reignite as the witch sisters. But an underdeveloped, unoriginal plot, bogged down by a lot of moving parts, doesn’t do enough to charm audiences into thinking this follow up film was entirely necessary.
Practical Magic 2 is in Australian cinemas September 10
