"Hocus Pocus" (OG and 2)

Attempting to get into the Halloween mood I decided to watch the new "Hocus Pocus" on Disney.  However, once again, I somehow managed to miss the original version of this film way back in 1993, so I had to watch it before watching the new one.  They were ... well ...

They aren't bad, exactly.  The OG film is a bit dated, the kids okay (with the exception of a very young Thora Birch, who is fabulous).  The focus is on the witches.  They are kind of funny, but the movie literally opens (SPOILER ALERT) with the murder of a kid.  So, not so funny.  The talking cat is cute and you want to laugh at the witches trying to figure out modern times, but you don't.  They adapt quickly, without any seeming help, and are finally vanquished at the very last minute.

The second film is a virtual blueprint of the first, making the ending kind of predictable.  But the focus is more on the kids than the witches, with Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo bringing energy and freshness to make the whole thing a little more engaging.  There is a single twist I didn't see coming but the script, like in the OG version, it is weak overall.  As for the witches, the biggest change in 30 years is that Sarah Jessica Parker seems to struggle with playing the childlike, ditzy witch from the first film.  She's in her 50s and the lightness was gone.  One of the few really enjoyable characters is Billy Butcherson played by Doug Jones ("Star Trek:  Discovery").  He is really a gem who makes the most of his tiny role.  Otherwise, both movies are about as watchable as a Hallmark holiday movie, but that's it.  

All that being said, some numbnuts in Texas are saying the films should be banned, so they will probably get a lot of viewership.  I would recommend having something else to do while you and the kids watch.