Twenty-five years after Practical Magic’s release, the Owens sisters are back and still fighting the curse that dooms the men who love them. But while it’s been twenty-five years between movies, only about ten(ish) years have passed since the actual events of the first movie and this sequel. Got it? Even if you don’t, just go with it anyway.
After another loss, Sally casts a spell to make her two young daughters, Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams), forget they’re witches. She vows to never use magic again. Cue many years later, and both daughters are in college. Sally has suppressed her magic; Gillian (Nicole Kidman) is living her best life, and the aunts, Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Fran (Stockard Channing), are realizing they must make certain sacrifices to break the generational curse hanging over the Owens family. When Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) ends up in a coma, the truth about Kylie and Antonia’s bloodline comes out, and Kylie runs off to London to try to break the curse and save Gideon.
I am a huge fan of the original film, so I was curious as to how the continuation of the Owens sisters’ story would be handled. For the most part, it’s an entertaining enough sequel. Bullock and Kidman slip effortlessly back into their roles as sisters, their banter and rapport as natural as in the first film. King and Williams are fine additions to the cast, and while Wiest and Channing have limited screen time, their presence is always welcome. Lee Pace also joins the cast as Ian, a hunky professor and historian of magic, who helps the Owens sisters find Kylie while making googly eyes at Sally and helping her reconnect with her magic.
While the overall theme of Practical Magic 2 is generational trauma and sisterhood, it still has a hint of romance. I wish I could say Bullock and Pace exuded chemistry onscreen, but their blossoming relationship didn’t draw me in the way I hoped. Maybe I’m just clinging too hard to the first film, where Bullock shared an incredible connection with Aidan Quinn, who played Gary Hallet. Their story had more emotion, higher stakes, and, well… magic. That’s not to say Lee Pace was a mistake. As a character, Ian was fun to watch and charming enough. He just didn’t click with Sally on the kind of romantic level necessary to make me forget about Gary. Honestly, I felt he would have been a better match for the free-spirited Gillian. But alas, this is not my movie.
Practical Magic 2 is an emotional journey, and while some decisions may upset its audience, they effectively serve the story. But what holds the movie back from being as good as the original is an uneven script with a shaky plot, and a runtime that is probably thirty minutes too long.
One thing I loved about the original was its eccentric, witchy aesthetic. Director Susanne Bier opts for a sleeker, more modern vibe, which unfortunately strips it of the cozy charm that made Practical Magic so beloved.
Still, Practical Magic 2 has enough laughs and throwbacks to the first film to at least satisfy fans of the original. The chemistry between the four main women remains intact, and it’s always a joy to see these characters onscreen again.
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