Hocus Pocus has become a cult classic in the Halloween cinema community. There are also the so called haters that oppose Hocus Pocus and think it isn’t up to the standards of other Halloween based films. I’d like to analyze the film and in the end give my honest opinion of how I feel about the movie.
Young Thackery Binx (Literally thought it was Zachary and everyone saying the name had a speech impediment) chases after the Sanderson sisters who have taken his sister Emily in order to steal her youth for themselves. They succeed and when the towns people come looking for the siblings they are hanged, but Thackery is transformed into a cat in the process. The Witches spell book casts a spell to resurrect the sisters when a virgin lights the black flame candle (This is a Disney movie).
Fast forward 300 years teenager Max Dennison moves with his family all the way across the country from sunny surf side California to Salem, Massachusetts. Max doesn’t buy into the legend of the Sanderson Sisters, but his crush Allison has loved the urban legend since she was a girl. Also who they heck was the guy telling Max he had no shot with Allison. He called him out like they were friends and then we never see the guy again. Just something that I noticed, but back to the story. Max doesn’t only have to worry about witches, but also bullies Jay and Ernie or now “Ice”. (Horrible bully names), your stereotypical 90s high school movie bullies who terrorize max throughout the movie. They steal his shoes and in an angered teenage angsty rage he goes home and jams out a drum solo randomly after his sister Dani catches him fantasizing about Allison.
Max is forced to take his little sister Dani trick or treating and as fate has it they end up at Allison’s house who tells them her mom used to run the Sanderson’s Sisters Cottage as a museum. Going there was the worst possible idea because Max the “virgin” (really blows my mind this was a children’s movie) lights the candle and unleashes the Sanderson’s back on the city. Now it’s up to Max, Allison, Dani, and the now talkative Thackery Binx cat to save the town’s children by stealing their spell book and keeping it from them until sunrise.
The overall plot of the movie makes sense you have witches trying to steal the souls of children to stay young forever. Then you got a talking cat who couldn’t originally speak to tell his father he was turned into a cat, so that’s a curveball that’s never really explained. The other thing is Winnifred brings back her ex boyfriend Billy as a zombie, who cheated on her with her sister Sarah (That’s some Jerry Springer type stuff). The other thing is Ice and Jay are like the most unconvincing bullies. Jay is like an off brand James Franco and Ice dresses like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Not in a good way).
I know I’m poking holes in the movie all over the place, but honestly I really enjoy this movie and I know many people do too. There are those that don’t approve of it and think it’s far overrated. I think it’s always going to be a classic for generations to come to enjoy and if you’re one of the nay sayers all I can tell you is give it another chance. Love it for the flaws and don’t be such a stick in the mud. One other thing the actor who plays Thackery Binx is a different actor than the voice actor for the cat voice. Jason Marsden wasn’t good enough to be shown on camera? Think that’s interesting it’s not like the usual Disney animated film speaking voice/singing voice actor switch. I’m getting way off topic, but Hocus Pocus in my opinion underrated film and one everyone should watch every Halloween. Let me know your take on Hocus Pocus and if you feel it’s an underrated masterpiece or completely overrated.
Happy Holidays!
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