As someone who has recently watched the original Practical Magic, I thoroughly enjoyed how it covered various genres: a mix of comedy, romance, coming-of-age, drama, fantasy, supernatural horror, and domestic abuse thriller. It was a mixed bag, but Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian “Gilly” Owens were always entertaining to watch. Even Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing were still the same eccentric duo, donning Auntie Jet and Auntie Franny again. Practical Magic 2 had a lot to live up to as a sequel that takes place twenty-five years after the events of the first film.
The story follows the Owens family as they face a new crisis when a discovery regarding the family’s history and the origins of their magic comes to light. When Sally’s daughter, Kylie, begins to uncover hidden family secrets and develops her own dark abilities, the family is plunged into a multi-generational struggle to finally break the curse that has haunted their lineage for centuries. The Owens women and their aunts team up to learn more about the origins of their magic, and hope to end the curse for good—allowing the next generation of girls to fall completely in love.
While this was a lovely trip down memory lane, sometimes movies do not necessarily need a sequel. Practical Magic 2 fell into this category. I was disappointed by the fact that there was a lot of source material to go off of from Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic book series, and this was what we got for the narrative. Based on this film’s execution, it did expand on some of the larger world setting—but it failed to bring its original charm to the next generation. Joey King and Maisie Williams are great actresses, but their characters were not as eccentric or captivating as watching the OG Owens sisters riff off of one another.
“While this was a lovely trip down memory lane, sometimes movies do not necessarily need a sequel.”
On a similar note, it was a huge letdown where the story and characters end up. It almost went against everything that made the first Practical Magic so iconic and likable. The tone was even more serious this time around, with less whimsy and fun. If I had to be optimistic, I guess it was a smart move to have its legacy characters be exactly who they were from the original film—not having them change to be funnier or more serious.
I found the new Owens sisters, Kylie and Antonia, to be almost one note in comparison. In a way, Sally’s daughters are just there for vibes while their mom, Aunt Gilly, Auntie Jet, and Auntie Franny all have tasks to do. Throwing Lee Pace into the mix of new characters, he was both a great yet distracting addition. Of course, it is easy to be distracted by Pace’s ripped, tall body—as seen in Foundation.
The other distracting part was how his acting was filled with unbearable weight and gravitas; it nearly felt like he was acting in the wrong style of movie. He was acting for an Oscar nod, but the acting gig vibe is supposed to be along the lines of Pineapple Express. I liked some of the humour he brought to the film, but the serious moments stuck out like a sore thumb and slowed the pace.
“Practical Magic 2 lost a bit of that warmth, scraping by and attempting to mimic that fairy-light, wispy aesthetic.”
Like many sequels that have a big gap, the technology advances and more things can be done digitally. Practical Magic 2 took advantage of the technology, but made some sacrifices for it. Director Susanne Bier chose to shoot on digital instead of the original film’s 35mm film, which presumably made the magical elements of the film look great—and was easier for the CGI/VFX teams to work from computer files. But fans of the first film will still recognise the ‘practical magic’ used in this film, which was great that they kept in.
The main issue was in the colour grading, an issue that continues to irk many film enthusiasts. The first Practical Magic had so many beautiful sunlight-orange shots, radiating on all the main characters. Practical Magic 2 lost a bit of that warmth, scraping by and attempting to mimic that fairy-light, wispy aesthetic. The Devil Wears Prada 2 had the very same issue, but paced up its film to distract from the more muted overall visual tones. I have to admit the magic animations were cool, though. But still, the crime is all in the colours…or lack thereof.
Practical Magic 2 has worn out all its magic and margaritas. Even though it was pleasant to see the Owens story continue on the big screen, the ingredients of this sequel spell have fizzled. If you are craving the same sisterly connections from its legacy characters, you will get the most out of that from this film. However, do not expect the story to be unique or super engaging—semi-entertaining at most.
