Practical Magic 2 Review

Synopsis

Practical Magic 2 follows the multi-generational Owens family as they try to break their family’s centuries-old curse of being loveless or losing the men they love.

The Verdict

Thumbs Up: Worth a Watch

Fans of the original Practical Magic who just want to spend more time with Sally, Gillian, and the Owens family magic will find plenty to enjoy here. Anyone hoping for a bold new direction or a story that stands fully on its own, however, may come away wanting more.

Practical Magic 2 nails what it needed to — the sister bond between Sally and Gillian feels just as strong as ever, and pairing them with a new generation of mirrored personalities (Kylie/Gillian-like, Antonia/Sally-like) makes for genuinely fun, mix-and-match chemistry. It delivers exactly the mix of magic, family, and emotional pull longtime fans were hoping for after a 28-year wait.
The central conflict mechanic feels contrived and leads to a resolution that doesn't quite hold together, undercutting some of the story's emotional stakes. On top of that, the plot leans heavily on the beats of the original film rather than charting new territory, making the sequel feel more like a retread than a fresh chapter.

Spoiler Warning!!! Full Review Below

Full Review (Spoilers)

Practical Magic 2 like other movies of this nature took way too long for a sequel to come out. After 28 years of waiting around, a new movie has arrived. I was expecting magic, family, and a bit of emotion. Happy to say the movie doesn’t disappoint in those areas. You bring back Sally and her sister Gillian for some deep sister relationship vibes. This is super important since the story weaves both of them back into this world of magic alongside aging up Sally’s daughters so they could join in on the antics. When watching the movie trailer the thing that stood out was why didn’t they know they were witches. I distinctly remember them being of a close enough age to remember but the movie answers that easily enough in the first couple of mins after the passing of Gary the cop. This matters since it’s the driving force for the entire plot of the movie.

The spotlight is split between Sally and her daughter Kylie. It’s funny because the aunts were 2, same with the current generation, and also with the new school of Sally’s daughters. Their personalities as well mirrors each other. You have Kylie that’s very much like Gillian and Antonia that’s very much like Sally. All of this pretty much worked out since you can mix and match them together for some hilarious interactions.

The curse, while a decent mechanic to keep with the movie, holds back the potential of this story. Sally basically allows it to cause more chaos then it should have done and the breaking of it was kind of ridiculous. Anyone that loves an Owens woman is doomed to die, no matter what. Sally thinks it’s over and brings tragedy to Gary. She in turns wipes the memory of her daughter which comes back to bite her on the behind. Sally trying to live life without using her powers like that would change anything… like come on. The curse isn’t going to forget about you since you want to forget about it. That move just felt out of character for her. Now the daughters feel betrayed because Kylie fell in love with a man and he’s going to die because of Sally’s mistake. The introduction of the “forgotten” family branch was kind of silly as well. He was there only for a moment and put up less of a fight than the villain from the first movie. Also notice Sally always falls in love with the guy that helps her during these adventures, that’s dangerous lol.

Practical Magic 2 fails to create something fresh for the newer audience. It basically washes and repeats the same story which makes you wonder why did it take 28 years to come up with this almost carbon copy of a story? The main thing that slows the movie down is the mechanic of having the daughters not remember they are witches and the curse exists. This is a misstep through and through since it brings out unneeded tension between all of the characters that fades away in a few moments.

Ultimately, if you enjoyed the first movie then you should like the sequel. The story holds the same kind of beat points with a couple of changes from the original. You still have strong sisterly bonds between the generations, a ton of magic scenes, some guy at death’s door, noisy beetles, and Sally falling in love with the guy that helps her.

DC's Hypothetical Corner

Let’s say I change one thing. Maybe that one thing will make this movie better or more watchable.

First and foremost… don’t make Kylie and Antonia forget they’re witches. It would have been 10 times better if they knew they were witches and had to use that in this generation. It could have made for some interesting moments of finding out more about this curse since Kylie is starting to fall for this guy she’s dating. She doesn’t want him to die so she sets out to see if there’s an end to the curse. Include Antonia a bit more in the story so they both go out on a journey that surfaces their past.Decrease the amount of screen time for the older generation. I know Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman brings nostalgia to the movie but they need to pass the torch to the newer generation. Include them only for comic relief and maybe a bit of wisdom but still just sprinkle them in.It’s fine to include the other branch of the Owens family but I would switch it up a little. This random was able to get the drop on Ian without any powers is silly. He shouldn’t be able to take any of them on face to face. There should be a surprise twist or two that isn’t Ian, Sally’s love interest in this movie. Make it be a long time family friend or one of the lovers that died. They could have been resurrected the right way and have a bone to pick with the Owens family. This could land especially hard for all of the main characters because they would have trusted this person.