Jay Rohr
Practical Magic 2 conjures more than nostalgia. Bird Box (2018) director Susanne Bier composes an enchanting whimsy goth romantic fantasy. This sequel to the 1998 film avoids a lot of the previous picture’s flaws. Though that doesn’t mean the movie is without its own imperfections; it still manifests enough charm to overcome any shortcomings. The question then is whether the flick is merely for the first film’s fans.
The film features the Owens family. This long line of witches is cursed in such a way that every romantic lover they have is doomed to die tragically. Heartbroken by the loss of her second husband, Sally (Sandra Bullock) vows to hide their magical background so her daughters can live a normal life. As such, it’s a shock when her daughter Kylie’s love interest suddenly hangs on the precipice of death. Discovering her witchy roots, the young lady races ahead of reason, pursuing dark arts down a rabbit hole she hopes will spare her paramour. However, malevolent forces are steering the woe blind young woman, and it’s up to Sally and her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) to save her before evil prevails.
The movie is based on The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman, part of her Practical Magic media franchise totally one tv pilot, two films, and four novels. The first feature length film garnered something of a cult following. However, the sequel does a nice job of inviting newcomers into the franchise. Recaps threaded throughout, either as brief cinematic segments or woven into dialogue, often suffice. There is very little that won’t make sense without seeing the first movie.
Furthermore, Practical Magic 2 improves on narrative delivery. The previous picture tended to simply jump to plot points. Here, events grow out of more organic instances. Before, most of the relationships between main characters were expressed by declarative exchanges. The sequel smartly shows those dynamics through witty dialogue and entertaining interactions. Consequently, the various parts feel more alive as they partake in a smooth bit of magical realism.
The comedy is much more apparent in this one. Practical Magic 2 leans towards snark rather than whimsy, but that gives it a heaping helping of charm. It also helps highlight the chemistry between individuals. In addition, despite dark arts and malevolent entities, a lighthearted quality prevails. Overall, there are steady laughs thanks to some amusing exchanges. Sandra Bullock is particularly sharp with the well-timed delivery of several humorous lines.
The cheery quality of opening scenes and certain exchanges helps emphasize darker moments when they occur. That isn’t to say things ever become a raging gothic nightmare, but the weight is buoyed by the film’s humor which accents the macabre. Essentially, Practical Magic 2 has a way of being carefree which makes the grim more crushing — the cheery smile that precedes an inevitable funeral.
As such, the movie ably handles several themes. This is a story about generational trauma, and the ways in which a family may fail to navigate such woes. At the same time, there is a definite sense of sisterhood, in the familial as well as feminist sense. Furthermore, Practical Magic 2 is about the importance of love, especially how people thrive in its presence, not to mention the ways a broken heart can cripple in its absence. More than anything, this is a story insisting no life should be lived or made small by anyone, especially those living it.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprise their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian. The prickly nature of their relationship is better presented here in the sequel. While there’s no doubt they love one another, their personalities are at often odds, and their interactions make this plain thanks to a magnificent back and forth between the two that can be humorous or emotional depending on the scene. Both recapture the essence of their previous performances, while getting an opportunity to give their roles more depth. Bullock in particular flexes every comedic muscle she has in a way that reminds she is a jesting gem.
Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Joey King (Bullet Train) play Sally’s children. The two have a wonderful chemistry that makes them feel like siblings. However, once the plot takes off, primarily following King as Kylie, Maisie vanishes into the periphery. This is a recurrent issue with the sequel which seems to forget characters who have little use to the prime plot. The same is true for Stockard Channing who returns as Aunt Frances.
Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle) is charming as Kylie’s love interest but similarly vanishes, albeit for more valid reasons. Lee Pace (The Running Man) has a smoldering charm as an academic bad boy assisting the sisters. Meanwhile, Solly McLeod (The Dead Don’t Hurt) does his best with the weakest written part in the picture. His performance is fine, but the role is mired in exposition dump monologues mirroring the first film’s tendency to have characters declare themselves rather than reveal who they are.
The acting isn’t a weakness in Practical Magic 2. Dianne Wiest’s quirky, heartbreaking return as Aunt Jet proves that alone. The main hurdle is that what could have been a swift satisfying feature, perhaps a little over 90-minutes at most, turns into a 130-minute movie. There are a lot of tiny pieces, repetitious instances and unnecessary closeups, which could be clipped. Also, scenes that should continue at full speed are intentionally stalled to drag out romantic moments which don’t tremendously benefit the film. Sexy as it is to watch Lee Pace eat pie (all innuendo intended) it doesn’t add enough steam to keep the movie thoroughly engaging.
Still, it’s a minor hurdle that fans will likely leap over. Practical Magic 2 is a solid sequel. An organic narrative full of laughs delivers a sentimental romantic fantasy, and while it’s the kind of movie that’s easy for cynics to sneer at, this is exactly the kind of escapism that fiction is meant to conjure. More than nostalgia bait, let it enchant you once.
