The cosmos has undergone significant transformations since the Owens witches last appeared on screen, captivating audiences with their enchanting mix of sleeping draughts, midnight margaritas, and intergenerational love curses. The 1998 film “Practical Magic,” a unique blend of genres showcasing 90s fashion and sisterly bonds, featured Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman at the height of their stardom as love-stricken witches in a mild Puritan Massachusetts. However, since then, theatrical releases of similar films have dwindled, while the demand for nostalgic content has surged, filling our screens with sequels and remakes, often lacking originality.
The announcement of “Practical Magic 2,” which brings back both Kidman and Bullock, along with Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as their quirky aunts, stands out as a curious blend of inevitability and peculiarity. This sequel, focusing on two women in their sixties navigating a matrilineal romantic comedy (though not exactly a traditional romcom), challenges the norms of typical film offerings. While it undoubtedly plays to nostalgia, the original’s distinctive tone and eccentricities create an alluring foundation for its continuation.
Directed by Susanne Bier, with a screenplay co-written by original scribe Akiva Goldsman alongside Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, and based on Alice Hoffman’s book, the sequel amplifies the key elements of its predecessor. It retains the whimsical shifts in tone, unusual CGI effects, and the iconic musical influence of Stevie Nicks, a beloved figure among fans of the supernatural. In this installment, Bullock reprises her role as Sally, the more anxious and practical sister who has abandoned her magical practices, much to the dismay of Kidman’s free-spirited Gilly. Despite Sally’s belief that she had broken the family curse that led to the demise of the men they loved, she faces further heartache, leading her to erase magical memories from her daughters’ minds to protect them from similar fates.
This narrative adjustment requires some creative license regarding the timeline: while the original was set in March 1998, new headstones suggest a shift to the early 2000s. This change allows both Kidman and Bullock, now older than Channing and Wiest were in the first film, to navigate the complexities of middle age in Hollywood while keeping younger characters, like Kylie (played by Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), in their early twenties, experiencing the excitement of first love.
For those attentive to timelines, this may present a challenge, but the original’s charm lay in its playful approach to logic and narrative structure. It’s amusing that the magic of “Practical Magic” accommodates generational curses and supernatural spirits yet overlooks practical aspects like levitating luggage, leaving Kidman’s character to struggle with heavy bags in multiple scenes.
Despite Gilly’s cautionary words to Kylie regarding the dangers of love, Kylie continues to embrace it. When her devoted college boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) falls into a cursed coma, she mirrors her mother’s earlier defiance against fate and, armed with a newly discovered Book of the Raven, ventures to England, the Owens’ ancestral home. Sally and Gilly pursue her, while Williams and Channing, who embody the film’s most radiant presence, remain in a Boston hospital, missing out on the captivating dynamics they could explore abroad. Their potential interactions with two contrasting male figures—a tattooed occult professor played by Lee Pace and a charismatic warlock portrayed by Solly McLeod—would have enriched the storyline.
The plot, which meanders through the women’s relationships with these men, ultimately serves as a backdrop for the main attraction: the chemistry between Kidman and Bullock. Their ability to evoke both charm and frustration is a testament to their enduring star power, and they effortlessly bring their characters back to life.
Despite occasional heavy-handedness in its messaging, particularly with themes like “no magic is stronger than sisterhood,” the film successfully navigates the idea of feminine solidarity amidst ongoing struggles. While the inclusion of midnight margaritas might feel like a nod to tradition, there is sufficient enchantment in “Practical Magic 2” to create a captivating experience.
“Practical Magic 2” is set to premiere in cinemas across the United States and Australia on September 10, with a UK release following on September 11.
