Just so...so bad

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

There are certain movies that I look forward to watching every time the leaves change color and that spooky time of year comes around. One of these is the delightful 1993 "Hocus Pocus" from Disney. Ever since I was a kid, it's a movie I've always cherished, and I think anyone who loves Halloween will too. When a group of kids decide to light the black candle, they unknowingly release a trio of witches who are determined to kill every last child in Salem to prolong their existence forever, unless they can be stopped first. Bette Midler shines in the role as head witch Winifred, bringing the right mixture of comedy and menace, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy equally shine as her comedic sisters bent on mischief and malice. Mick Garris and Dave Kirschner wrote a magical script that's all too delightfully directed by Kenny Ortega. Oh, did I mention there's a talking cat? If you want some Halloween magic, this is not to be missed!!!!

I remember seeing the commercials for "Hocus Pocus" as a teen, but I think I'd just missed its target audience. Evidently, it's become somewhat of a cult movie because it seems like people mention it everywhere this time of year. But its charms are lost on me. Aside from the makeup and effects budget, it smacks of Disney Channel fare. Not to mention loud.That said, the witches' costumes were impressive. This is just one of those movies that seemed to pass right by me.5/10

In the years since its release in 1993, thanks to annual showings on television, Hocus Pocus has become something of a Halloween classic. I didn't grow up with the movie, and I don't think it is an especially well-crafted work, so I can't necessarily vouch for Hocus Pocus' "classic" status, but what I can vouch for is the movie's wholesome family spirit. This is a lovable little movie, the kind that renders any faults moot by the sheer charm of the production. I guess it's not a very good film, but its black magic worked on me.I'll keep the summary short. Three witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts and they wreak havoc on Halloween night. A small band of kids try to stop them. That's really all the plot you need to know. What's important to consider is that the movie takes place on Halloween, and it makes the most of that setting. I've always had a soft spot for Halloween and Halloween-related accoutrement: Monsters, ghouls, jack-o-lanterns, and the like. So Hocus Pocus appeals to me on the basis of simply being about the holiday, and relishing in the spirit of Halloween. It is also one of the few Halloween movies to capture that specific "spooky, but not scary" feeling Halloween night had as a kid. For someone who has long outgrown trick-or-treating, it's an inviting bit of nostalgia.Let's talk about the cast. Has there ever been a more likable bunch of actresses than the three witches here? Midler, Parker, and Najimy show no pretenses. They are just out there goofing around and having fun. Their performances aren't anything special, of course, but you can't tell me they didn't add more than their share of cute energy to the proceedings. Speaking of cute energy, I have to give a special shoutout to Thora Birch as the young sister, who gushes with charm. She's the heart of the movie, she's got screen presence, and she's a good little actress.Not everyone will see Hocus Pocus the way I do. I have a pesky habit of rooting for movies because they are silly and innocent, rather than in spite of. Others find that sort of thing unbearable. In this case, Hocus Pocus has two things that distract me from its formulaic, kids- save-the-day plot: A lovable cast, and Halloween spirit. As dumb as it is, I still get the urge to revisit it every October. You could say I fell under its spell.66/100

This film is comparable to Amy Schumer and Adam Sandler's careers.The witches each have one character trait, and that's it. The main characters are bland generic 90's children with no personality, the attempts at humor are cringe-worthy and painful, and the series of events are so stupid that I could not even finish this to the end. But first, some story issues: 1. Why did the cat not warn the teenage boy to not light the candle? If he did, the entire movie would not have happened.2. Why did the zombie chase the heroes at the start, but then helped them later? Was it because his mouth was sewn? 3. Why did the cat only talk to guide the heroes and be captain exposition? If he had spoken when they were talking to the parents, I'm pretty sure the parents would have taken them seriously.There are several points in the film where the conflict would have ended if they had spent two seconds thinking before acting irrationally. For example:1. Why didn't they hide the spell-book by burying it or hiding it under some floorboards? Seriously, the witches had to physically look for it, and it only became a beacon when someone physically opened it.2. Why did they open the spell-book immediately instead of waiting until morning? "I know we're dealing with witches and who knows if we actually killed them, but let's just learn about black magic, I'm kind of curious." 3. Why didn't they surround themselves with salt as soon as they found out they could do that? Again, They take no precautions and act like they're invincible.4 Why did the teenage boy drink the life-stealing potion instead of offering to the witch, waiting till she was low enough, then jumping up, grabbing his sister, throwing the vile to the ground, and playing tug-of-war until sunrise? The "jokes" are about as forced as a crap. First, nearly all of them are written so the film can get a PG rating so the film can look "cool and adult," and as a result, you've got:immature and uncomfortable sexual innuendoimmature and uncomfortable usage of "damn" and "hell" and so on. Each one is so awkward and contrived that it feels like I'm watching a High-School production. The acting is laughable. Ever see an amateur production of Hamlet? That's the witches' performances. Ever seen awful child actors before? That's the heroes' performances.All in all, pretty pathetic. There's also some awful green screen and stupid scenes before the conflict actually starts, but I won't delve into that.If you're the kind of person that doesn't switch off their brain while watching a movie, I'd suggest you avoid this like the plague.2/10