What is up bros, I'm Caleb.
And I'm Jonathan.
And we are a couple of bros on a mission to give you guys the most detailed movie reviews
out there with as little bias as possible.
Welcome to the all bros.
This week on the podcast in 4k spotlight we only have one new item to talk about.
And then we will be getting into this week's headliner where we will be breaking down
Hocus Pocus to the long anticipated sequel to the original Hocus Pocus.
Cult Classic.
So with that let's say we get straight into it.
Let's do it.
Every day we're surrounded by media.
Books, movies, art, music, games, apps, podcasts, etc. etc.
With this constant bombardment it's easy to miss great media gems in the chaos.
But fret not, you've come to the right place my friend.
I'm Jason and I love media.
I invite you to check out the Mixed Media Forest podcast.
The podcast where I trudge through the forests of media to find hidden gems for you, the
listener.
Every episode of Mixed Media Forest is chock full of fun, reviews, nostalgia, positivity,
news, rants, stories, and recommendations about all things media.
Again, that's the Mixed Media Forest podcast created on Anchor podcasting app and available
everywhere find podcasts can be found.
Give it a listen.
That's what all the cool kids are doing.
Alrighty, like we said, starting off with 4K Spotlight we only have one movie to talk
about this week and that is the release of Bullet Train.
So Rose would you like to tell everyone about that and where it's coming?
Uh, yes I would love to and uh, hey Caleb I just realized that I lied there's actually
uh two other big releases coming out I'm sorry.
Oh you son of a bitch!
Every freaking week Rose!
I know, I know I'm so good at this.
I do it just to fuck with you.
I think I've come to that point.
It feels, it's starting to feel like it.
Oh shit.
Uh, alright anyway so yeah Bullet Train is coming to 4K and Blu-ray as well as a Best
Buy exclusive steelbook.
I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna double check on this.
Never mind it is not a Best Buy exclusive steelbook so you can actually get this steelbook
anywhere or by anywhere I really mean like Target and Amazon that's usually Target, Amazon
and Best Buy that's usually if a steelbook is a wide release those are usually the three
that will always carry it.
But besides Bullet Train we're also getting Orphan First Kill.
I haven't even seen the first one yet but I've heard it's really good.
I've heard the sequel is actually decent so I kind of want to see both now.
Are those movies?
I thought those were TV shows.
No they're movies.
What the hell?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
Um, and so yeah I know like Orphan First Kill I know like I think it was in theaters and
on Paramount Plus at the exact same time so.
Okay yeah I've seen it on Paramount Plus a lot and I'm like oh that's cool they made a
movie based off of this show.
I didn't like I it was such like a big thing like Orphan was just such a big thing.
I always thought it was a show because like people were promoting it like everywhere so
I don't know where I got that wrong.
You're good man.
Dude I remember the first one freaking came out when we were in junior high I swear.
Holy shit.
Yeah the first one is that old.
Like how many movies are there is it?
It's just the original on this one.
Okay.
Yeah there's just two.
That's freaking weird like why did I think it was a show?
I wish I knew.
But besides that the last big release coming out is a movie that me and Caleb were very
divisive on.
Or you know what I mean I didn't really like it but he like somewhat liked it.
That's Paws of Fury the Legend of Hank that is coming to Blu-ray as well this Tuesday.
I like the writing I think that was the only thing that we like really disagreed on was
the writing.
Everything else was pretty close.
Okay all right.
But yeah so that is what is coming out this Tuesday.
Nice.
Well with that out of the way let's move on to this week's headliner where we break down
Hocus Pocus 2.
Yes let's do it.
Alrighty like we said we will be breaking down Hocus Pocus 2.
So if you are new to our breakdown system the way that we break down movies over here
is we have split them into eight different categories that we individually scored come
to a final all bros letter grade.
And the eight categories that we score are story, writing, acting, character development,
effects, music, costumes, and then we give it our own personal score at the very end.
All of those numbers get magically added up thrown into our algorithm and sped out a letter
grade for us to compare to other movies of similar grades and a percentage to break down
a hierarchy of our movies.
So if you have not seen Hocus Pocus 2 it is currently available to stream on Disney Plus
so definitely go check that out.
If you listen past this point Rose is about to read off the entire synopsis for the film
and it will be spoiled for you.
So if you don't want it spoiled stop listening now go watch the movie come back and join
us for this breakdown.
So anyway if you have chosen to listen past this point it is your own damn fault if the
movie gets ruined for you.
So without further ado our favorite segment reading with Rose everyone.
Okay let's see if I can go without screwing this up.
In 1653 Salem a young Winifred Sanderson is banished from Salem by Reverend Trask, hope
I said that right, after she defied the authority of the church by refusing to marry John Pritchett.
Rather than let her sisters Mary and Sarah be taken away from her Winifred escapes with
them to a nearby forbidden forest.
There they make the acquaintance of Mother Witch who gifts Winifred her magic book for
her 16th birthday but explicitly warns the sisters against casting a spell known as
the Magicae Maxima which makes the user all powerful.
Mother Witch also teaches the sisters to kill other children to keep their youthfulness.
In 2022 29 years after the Sanderson sisters were resurrected by the Black Flame Candle
Salem teenagers Becca and Izzy prepare to celebrate both Halloween and Becca's 16th
birthday but turn down a party invitation from their estranged friend Cassie Trask.
Becca and Izzy visit a magic shop formerly the Sanderson cottage run by Gilbert who
gifts Becca a candle for their annual birthday ritual.
Becca and Izzy light the candle and discover that it is another Black Flame Candle as they
are a full moon and the girls are both virgins the candle resurrects the Sanderson sisters
once again.
The girls manage to outwit the sisters in a local Walgreens and then escape to the magic
shop where they discover that Gilbert tricked them into reviving the sisters having seen
them on Halloween back in 1993 and been taught how to make the candle by book.
The sisters catch up to the girls and see a campaign flyer belonging to Mayor Trask,
Cassie's father and Reverend Trask's direct descendant.
Mayor decides they will cast the Magicae maxima spell to eliminate Trask and take revenge
on Salem.
The sisters trap Izzy and Becca in the basement and leave to hunt down Trask whose blood is
needed to complete the spell.
They force Gilbert to collect the other ingredients.
The girls escape and head to the Trask house to warn the mayor while the sisters find their
way to the town's Halloween carnival and enchant the citizens to help find the mayor.
Meanwhile Gilbert digs up Billy Butcherson who has been awake but entombed since 1993.
Gilbert needs Billy's head for the spell but tricks Billy into helping him collect the
other ingredients first.
The girls reunite with Cassie and manage to trap the sisters within a salt circle in Cassie's
garage before Mayor Trask returns home.
The three teenagers make amends with one another but their reunion is interrupted when the
sisters escape the circle and kidnap Cassie to use her blood instead.
Becca and Izzy follow them to the Forbidden Forest where Gilbert has assembled the ingredients
and soon discover that Becca is also a witch.
The sisters partially cast the spell and increase their power but Becca distracts them while
Izzy rescues Cassie.
Becca manages to convince Book that it does not have to answer to Winifred and Becca
and Book flee further into the forest.
Book shows them a warning about the Magicae maxima spell saying that whoever casts it
must give up what they cherish most.
The girls agree to warn Winifred of the price of the spell but are too late.
Winifred becomes all powerful as Mary and Sarah fade to dust.
Winifred grows despondent and begs the teenagers to use their newfound powers to save her sisters.
While they cannot save the two, Becca, Cassie, and Izzy join together in a coven and cast
a reuniting spell and Winifred happily fades away to be reunited with her sisters.
The girls are joined by Gilbert and Billy while Billy starts to fade away, realizing
that all of Winifred's spells have been undone and relief to finally be headed to his eternal
rest.
The girls decide to give Book a new home and continue practicing their magic as they walk
off into the night in a similar manner as the Sanderson sisters.
As they leave, a crow identical to the one that Mother Witch had shape shift into flies
overhead.
And they do not include the end credits scene.
Did you watch the end credits scene?
Yes.
I did watch it on accident.
What do you mean by accident?
Okay, so when I was watching it, I meant to turn it off, right?
But I got distracted doing something and so I just kind of like let the credits play through.
And then when I was like walking over to like turn my TV off, then the end credits scene
started and I was just like, oh shit.
Oh, that's funny.
Yeah, so I caught that completely on accident.
I wouldn't have on their normal circumstances, but yeah.
That's funny.
I mean, it's really nothing.
It kind of just teases a Hocus Pocus 3 if there is one of a black cat in the Sanderson
Sisters cottage jumping up to where there lies a second or there's a box that says,
black flame candle number two.
And then that that's it.
Yeah, that doesn't even that doesn't make sense though.
It doesn't.
How many freaking black flame candles are there?
Yeah, well, okay.
It's understandable that they have another one.
But it's like, why would they tease that unless they plan on doing like another one of these
movies?
But if you do another Hocus Pocus movie, you can't include the Sanderson Sisters.
They're freaking dust now.
Yeah.
I mean, this is some bullshit where they keep like reappearing every time there's a freaking
candle.
I mean, that's what I thought.
Like when they first resurrected them in this one, I'm like, okay, wait, I thought because
in the first one, when you know, like they get rid of the Sanderson Sisters and Binks
is able to actually exit from being a cat and his soul is able to lay to rest, like
he actually gets to join his family, I thought that meant like, oh, yeah, the Sanderson Sisters
are completely dead.
They can't come back.
Yeah, there's some freaking plot holes in this movie.
There really is.
The tie ins were not as good as I thought they were going to be.
Like yeah, just get getting like straight into this, this story.
It really failed.
The only nostalgia button that they happened to push on me was seeing the Sanderson Sisters
again.
Other than that, they didn't hit shit.
I agree and even, and this is nothing, I have a problem with one of the Sanderson Sisters
because for me, like we've talked about in the first one, you cannot tell at all that
Sarah Jessica Parker is Sarah.
Oh yeah.
I had no issue knowing that was her.
This one, I'm sorry, like no matter how hard she tried, I'm like, yeah, no, that's still
Sarah Jessica Parker.
Like I don't know what it was like, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, I feel like they,
they went right back into their roles like that.
Like I mean, even I feel honestly, Kathy Najimy even a little bit more in this one than the
first one.
But I don't know.
All I could see was Sarah Jessica Parker.
It didn't, it's fair, but it's also she didn't like, she didn't lose herself in the role
like she did.
She didn't.
And honestly, I might actually blame that on writing because I feel she is still trying
her best here.
I feel all three are.
Yeah, absolutely.
Like she was giving like similar enough performance.
It just wasn't highlighted enough.
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely agree.
Which sucks.
Yeah.
Oh, it very much does.
Like I had a hard time.
Like the story was boring.
It really was.
Like even like the whole like scene where they're like in the Walgreens and like, I didn't even
really find that that funny.
No, dude.
It's I didn't find anything in this movie funny.
Like even like Mary like flying around on like those like those vacuums.
I didn't think that was funny.
No, me either.
The only thing that I got that maybe got a chuckle out of me was the freaking Roombas
and just like how they happen to be perfect enough to like come and vacuum up the salt
that had them trapped.
Oh, yeah.
But it like that was the only thing and they had the ingredients for a good movie.
It's just the execution on this was just horrendous.
What's funny is, okay, I can think of one scene that actually made me laugh and it's
not even like the three OGs playing the Sanderson sisters.
It's the flashback at the beginning.
It's when the girl that plays young Winifred, she's just like, no, I don't want to marry
him.
I want to marry Billy Butcherson and Billy, the kid that plays Billy, he's just like,
why me?
I don't know why.
That was actually really funny.
Yep.
That got me too.
Yeah.
Now that I'm thinking about it.
Yeah, that definitely got me too.
It was it was rough, dude.
This was a really tough watch.
I wish Kenny Ortega could have come back to direct this sequel.
I agree, dude.
Like, it's a sequel.
Like, I get it.
Hogan's Focus is remembered as, for many, one of the greatest Halloween films ever made.
Like it's so nostalgic.
It's one that like so many people go back to every year.
I probably don't watch it every single year, but I've seen it very many times.
But I've everyone was just like so pushing for a sequel, like, oh, yeah, we want one.
We want one when it really didn't need one.
And this movie showcases that it did not need a sequel.
It was a perfect standalone movie.
Yeah, the it was just it was rough, dude.
I like that it kind of tied up some loose ends a little bit.
Like what happened with the book?
Yeah, I would agree.
I will agree with that.
Like it tied that up nicely and it tied up the whole like Billy being asleep for the
past many years.
Hell what is it?
I don't know.
It just lacked.
It's just the necessity wasn't there.
Now like it was.
Yeah.
I mean, I'll give them this.
The way that they did bring them back like completely made sense.
Why another black, black flame candle?
I can totally buy into that.
Dude, I will even say with this one, the weight like the introduction of how they come back,
like how like the first one, they literally they're in the their cottage and they open
the door and bam, there they are.
Whereas in this one, I actually love that you actually get to see them risen up from
hell.
Yeah, that was awesome.
That was freaking awesome.
Yeah, that is really cool.
But that's like one of the only cool things I got for the sequel.
Yeah.
And then it's just I don't know.
This is more of a writing issue.
But the the the use of the performance was used in the in the first one was used in a
way that it made sense.
Yes.
Here they had multiple performances that just did not land like when they were singing the
Witches Are Back song, like when they first appeared, I'm like, this seems a little over
the top.
I mean, and I get like sisters.
No, I agree.
Because like, yeah, like the one of the girls, because oh my God, I'm sorry, they're just
so forgettable.
I forgot the one girl's name, the one that wears the glasses.
She's she's literally says to her friend, like, who are they even singing to?
And then Mary, like Mary's like right next to her and she's like, you.
Yeah, that it wasn't the best written anything, but I was like, OK, I guess.
Like and OK, I feel that I should bring this up with story because me and Caleb were talking
about this tour like before we recorded.
And I I still don't know how to feel that because I remember after this movie ended,
I was pissed at this because it just felt so out of place.
But like more thinking about it, I get that they were trying for like sentimental, but
in some ways it works, in some ways it doesn't.
But like what we like what I read that when like they do the spell at the end, Mary and
Sarah disappear and Winifred is in distress.
She misses her sisters and so they do the spell that it makes her be free to be with
her sisters again.
And when I was watching this, I'm like, from remembering how she is in the first one, that
just feels so out of left character for her.
I get it.
They're her sisters.
But just for the first one, it seemed like she kind of freaking was not hated them, but
like she was kind of a bitch to them.
Yeah.
Oh, well, you got to think sibling rivalry is a is a real thing.
So for me, it made sense that she would like do that, like go that route and want to be
with her sisters.
It did feel too out of character for me because it's like in the first one, her sisters were
kind of like her ride or ride or die.
Like they were ready to freaking like die together.
They did everything together.
And then I think just at the beginning, just the just tying it in like, oh, this is your
coven and which is nothing without her coven.
Like that whole thing, that just kind of solidified the relationship a little bit more.
So it didn't feel too out of character.
So I don't know.
And then also, it's like she didn't read the warning and like our Winifred didn't read
the warning.
So it's like she didn't know that's what she had to give up for the power or whatever.
So it's I am I'm very hit and miss with the ending.
You know what?
I think you just brought me to your side.
Yeah.
I mean, that being said, was it good?
No.
Yeah.
But if it's a whole movie, dude, like the issues that I had with the first one was that
the the story, like it had too much fluff.
It needed to be like shaved down into something a little bit better paced.
This movie, it had the perfect pacing, but it was the content that just was not great.
Yeah.
It sucks because I had.
I mean, I feel like I had reasonable expectations of this movie, but.
I just knew like going into this.
Yeah.
I mean, I knew going into this, I'm like, I'm going to walk away with this knowing one
thing that will happen is that I will just love seeing these three together again.
And I feel that the chemistry is just going to be the exact same for the first movie.
It's just going to be so great.
And that's exactly what I got.
You can definitely tell these still these three still have the magic between the between
them.
And I had such a joy watching them again.
Yeah.
But that's really I got.
Yep.
Yeah.
All the other characters are so forgettable.
If you thought any of the characters in the first one were forgettable.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah.
Just wait till you watch this one.
Yeah.
No fricking joke there.
The only character that I actually like gave a shit about was Billy Butcherson.
Like when he came back, I was like, oh, this is OK.
Like here's a little nostalgia cake for me.
And then again, that just kind of led somewhere that let me down.
Yeah.
I mean, I guess I cared a little bit about Gilbert, but I think the only reason I cared
about him was because he literally tricked the two girls into lighting a black flame
candle to bring the Sanderson sisters back.
OK, that's interesting.
Yeah.
But like when you read your reading of the synopsis was way more interesting than the
film was.
Yes.
Like the synopsis does not do it justice.
Like the synopsis made it sound like it was like interesting.
And it wasn't.
It wasn't because I feel I feel one character that they just needed to establish so much
better was Gilbert.
And I know it should have been the two two girls.
But the fact that like, you know, since they first appeared in 93, he saw them disappear.
And he's like, literally, he picked up book, just dedicated his whole life just trying
to recreate the black flame candle and bring them back.
And you know, he's able to do it.
I don't know.
I just wanted a little more backstory with that.
Like, OK, but we're not really showcased why you are so into the Sanderson sisters, like
why you're like I know, like they explain like a strange obsession, especially for someone
who's sharing stories of them wanting to eat children, dude, straight up.
Like what did you what was plan a?
Yeah.
Like you thought also it seems like a resurrect.
You thought you were going to resurrect the Sanderson's and they suddenly were going
to be like, oh, we don't need to eat babies anymore.
Yeah, right.
Or not babies, kids, kids.
Like you know, but it seems like like he's like the only one and, you know, like the
two girls and all of Salem that like talk about the Sanderson sisters now, they've
kind of been kind of just forgotten.
They're not really a.
They're not even like a scary story that they tell at Halloween, it seemed.
Not really.
It's like hell, even frickin frickin 40 years later in the Halloween franchise, they still
tell stories about Michael Myers.
You know, he's the Boogeyman.
He's the myth.
Everyone knows the myth, but not everyone knew that he was actually a thing where like in
this one, it's been like like a little over 20 years since the events of the first one.
And yeah, people just forgot about what happened in 93.
Well you got to think it's like not everyone interacted with the Sanderson's.
That's true.
So it would have become like a myth.
Like you would have had the small group of parents that had to dance in the gym for like
hours on end because the Sanderson sisters came and put a spell on them and then left.
So they probably just came out of that and were like, OK, that was weird.
But not really.
OK, talking about it.
And then it just kind of became like a town myth.
Yeah, like, oh yeah, we put all our kids to bed and then for some weird reason they all
started like leaving the house.
And so they woke up out in the middle of the street and so that was weird.
But again, nothing would have come from that.
Yeah, OK, you got a point there.
Yeah, that's my whole justification for it.
But this whole.
I don't know what this was lacking.
It's like on paper, it seems like it should have been really good.
Like, honestly, I think it was just execution.
Yeah, I would agree.
And that's like really unfortunate because I think this movie had the potential to be
really frickin good.
Oh, yeah, it's freaking Hocus Pocus 2.
This should have been a great sequel.
Yeah, this should have been an easy frickin payday, Disney.
I mean, it was.
I know, but it's like you still you screwed it up.
Like you're only going to get maybe.
I'll say two, maybe three years worth of viewings from this movie.
Unlike the first one where they're going to get way more than their money's worth.
I mean, I mean, you heard, though, like the record that Hocus Pocus 2 set, right?
Are you shitting me?
It's not a record.
What record?
Oh, yeah.
So as far as like Disney plus original movies, it is the most watched.
Are you actually shitting me?
I'm dead serious.
That's bullshit, dude.
It is the most watched Disney plus original movie.
OK, maybe we're the minority here.
Yeah, apparently.
And I know like people will say like, oh, you know, just accept it for what it is.
You know, like they they did their best.
They could have done a lot better.
Like, come on.
No, having seen the original as as recently as we have.
And come into this, this was not even close to their best.
No, I walked away disappointed and I didn't want I didn't expect to feel that way after
Hocus Pocus 2.
Yeah.
I mean, I was there, at least not as disappointed as I was.
Yeah.
And that's really unfortunate.
The story, though, isn't.
The worst thing in the world, though, it's like I know we're just like, it seems like
we're ripping at a new one, but it wasn't like the worst thing.
Like, honestly, I think I still might be in like the 70s, but I'm in like the low 70s.
Yeah, same here.
And yeah, I don't think I can go in the 60s.
And like, honestly, I feel it's just because seeing those three together again, that's
what pushes it barely into the 70s.
Yeah, like they were good.
I think I wish the movie would have just focused on them.
Like I wish that I found a way for them to like be brought back.
But not have the focus on these new witches.
Yeah.
So I.
But the sisters were definitely enough to keep this in the very, very average range.
Yeah.
So I think I'm just going to sit at like a solid 70 with this.
Yeah, you know, I'm going to agree with you.
Not it.
Almost give it to you.
All right, next up, we got writing.
Man, this is one of those things, the writing for the sisters was really good.
The writing for everyone else, not so good.
Yeah.
Just the writing for the two.
OK, I got to get their names because I feel bad that I just keep calling them the lead
girls.
Yeah.
So we got Becca, who is the like the witch, Izzy, who is the friend, and then Cassie,
who is the estranged friend.
OK, so.
The writing for Becca and Izzy is it's all right.
I feel the writing for Becca is better.
Agreed.
But maybe that's because I liked the and I mean, we'll get to this with acting.
I thought Becca's actress was better than Izzy's, but that's just my opinion.
But the.
Oh, my God.
What was their friend's name again?
Cassie.
Oh, my God, I hated her writing.
She was so fricking generic, dude.
Dude, straight up, like even their like whole their them being like friends years ago.
But then when she became popular, they they separated.
That just felt like such a generic classic high school plot.
Like oh, yeah.
Or junior high plot.
I don't know how old they are.
Well, no, they would be in high school, right?
They're 16.
16.
So they would be in like.
Sophomores.
Yeah.
But yeah, I've seen that a million times.
Like yeah, like, you know, you grow up in in elementary, but, you know, once you get
to junior high or high school, you you know, you everyone finds their different cliques
and you guys go their separate ways.
And then, of course, you know, they have to touch upon that and see if they come back
together and just I hate it.
Boring.
Dude, I thought the route that they were going to take with that because it's like the.
It felt so unjustified with Cassie hanging out with her boyfriend, Mike, the route that
I thought they were going to take.
And I thought it would have been way more interesting is if Cassie was dating Mike,
who Becca had a crush on or had dated like maybe like Becca's ex or something.
Yeah, that would have.
Dude, you could have even written a better plot for this.
Yeah, that's not a super high bar or one that's one that's more cohesive.
Fair enough.
Yeah, it's just it would have made more sense.
It would have added a little like, oh, like a little like a little teen drama, but it
still would have added a little bit like spice to it.
Like, oh, shit.
Like, how are they going to come back from this?
Like one of those things like it.
I don't know.
It would have worked a little bit better for me.
And then it's still like.
Cassie still like distancing herself because.
She's I don't know, whatever, like whatever you want, go there.
Like, but it.
They missed the mark.
Just the whole.
Oh, now I'm popular.
Now we're not friends anymore, frickin who cares?
Yeah.
I will say this, though.
Mike was decently written.
Like, I love that he wasn't like the typical like bullying asshole.
He was just.
An idiot, but still like.
Funny.
Yeah, because I fully made the freak out that he has in a.
The class when she when she does like the whole spell thing.
Yeah, that that maybe chuckle a little bit.
Yeah.
And then when he realized that he was like bullying.
Like he's like, oh, my gosh, I have so many people to apologize to.
Yeah, see, I love that kind of stuff.
That's actually awesome.
Getting someone to admit to it.
Yeah, I freaking I love that.
Like.
And I think like.
Mike could have been a really interesting character for them to explore more of.
Well, absolutely.
But.
We just didn't get it.
Like it's they didn't set up why we should care.
Yeah, exactly.
Like I feel like.
Becca just kind of being into witchcraft and then suddenly, oh, she has powers.
Well, come on.
Like it.
It's it's weird.
I think that.
Instead of it being like.
I don't know.
I don't know how the hell to make Becca more interesting.
Dude, you and me both like.
Instead of it being like something that she like the witchcraft stuff, instead of being
something that she just kind of has an interest in.
Like show us from the get go that she has some like magic about her.
And maybe.
And maybe like not even go as far as being like, oh, Gilbert set this up so she summons
the Sanderson sisters and throw that whole plot in.
Maybe set it so she accidentally turns a candle into a black flame candle.
See yeah, that would have been cool.
Yeah, like with her innate magical abilities, she accidentally turns a normal candle that
she's using for this birthday ritual that she does every year.
She accidentally turns it into a black flame candle, resurrecting the Sanderson sisters
for a small period of time.
And then they want to do this like ultimate magic spell to make them more powerful.
Like that would have been.
So much more interesting for me.
Absolutely agree, absolutely agree.
Like get rid of freaking Gilbert altogether.
And then maybe.
Trying to think.
Oh, you know how the freaking like the mother or the witch mother?
She's like, oh, like the like here's your spell book, like magical items or.
Yeah, magical things always have a way of like.
Showing up to each other like that whole shtick.
Yes, yeah.
Like how cool would it have been if Becca was having like dreams of the book?
And then she like comes across the book.
Or like comes across a real book at that at the shop, like if you really wanted to throw
in the magic shop.
See, yeah, that would have been cool.
Yeah, it's just gosh, there's so many like little minor things that you could have shifted.
Just just a hair.
So it just it felt really sloppily put together.
But I mean, the dialogue wasn't the worst thing in the world.
No, it's I've seen a lot worse.
Yeah, I mean, and the sisters were still funny.
Like how they're supposed to be.
I think.
And I feel like I've noticed this with other movies when you have more than one or two
writers, the the story just gets real sloppy.
Yeah, I've noticed that too.
And this movie has.
Three writers.
Holy shit.
Yeah, so it's two two people are the characters are based on characters created by their three
story by characters and then there's one screenplay by.
So in my mind, that's four writers.
Yeah.
Wow.
And it feels like it.
It feels very like.
It's too busy.
Agreed.
Absolutely agreed.
So on story, I think our writing.
Just because I feel like the dialogue was somewhat decent, but with all of the frickin
issues that I had with the just the general story itself and how everything was written
out and, like I said, became way too frickin busy.
I might be at a 70 with this one as well.
I think I'm just going to go slightly about 71 just really just because of the writing
for the sisters.
And it felt like for the most part, it felt like the first one with their writing, which
I appreciated.
That's fair.
So moving on over to acting, we have.
Winifred Sanderson, who is played by Bette Midler.
We have Sarah Sanderson, who is played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
We have Mary Sanderson, who was played by Kathy Najimy.
Becca, who is played by Whitney Peak.
Izzy, who is played by Belisa Escobedo.
Cassie, who is played by Lillia Buckingham.
Gilbert, who was played by Sam Richardson.
Billy Butcherson, who is played by Doug Jones.
And then finally, we have the mayor slash Reverend Trask, who is played by Tony Hale.
So I'm assuming with your top three, we're going we're talking sisters, right?
Oh, absolutely.
So other than the sisters.
Like has your OK, so I forget what my ranking was.
Oh, so I remember mine.
Mine was like on the first Hocus Pocus.
Mine was Winifred, Sarah and then Mary.
Like respectively in that order.
Wasn't yours Winifred, Mary, Sarah?
No, mine was Mary Winifred, Sarah.
OK.
Do you stand by that ranking?
Yes, does not change at all.
OK, same with me.
OK, so other than those three.
Wait, sorry, sorry.
OK, wait, you had Mary last, right?
Oh, that's right.
Never mind.
Scratch that.
Pump the brakes.
I mean, that's fine.
I'm just so yeah, I was Winifred, Sarah, Mary for the first.
This one I'm going Winifred, Mary, Sarah.
OK.
Yeah, sorry.
I had to make that correction.
No, you're good.
No, I just wanted to make sure.
And I'm not trying to sound like a dick calling you out, but I just want to make sure that
like, oh, you know, like I just want to see if like you thought like Mary's performance
was just a little better than Sarah's in this one just because kind of how we talked about
like because of the writing, it just feels like it's it's not Sarah that much in this
movie.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK, so yeah, with that, like so since we have that established and it's basically for the
exact same reasons as the first movie.
Yeah.
What are your top three that are not the sisters?
Number one, I would absolutely give to Gilbert.
I actually had a really for the most part, I actually liked his character, even though
like there are some things that need to be needed to be filled in with his backstory
and, you know, his attraction towards the Sanders, not attraction, his what's the word?
Obsession, obsession.
Thank you.
His obsession with the Sanders sisters.
But I really enjoyed his performance.
Number two, I would probably give to probably Becca.
Fair.
OK, is Becca the main one or is that it?
Yes.
OK, yeah, sorry.
I keep.
Becca is the Becca is like the new Winifred.
OK.
And then Izzy's the one with glasses and then Cassie's the estranged friend.
OK.
So yeah, so number two, I would give to Becca and because I feel that the young actress
is honestly giving her best.
It's just the acting, the writing is just not great for her.
But the young.
Or which actress?
For Becca's actress.
Yeah, I feel she's trying her best with what she's given.
So I give her number two and then number three.
I'll give to the I forget his name that plays Billy Butcherson just because I think it's
actually really cool that the guy that played him in the first one comes back to play him.
I mean, it was really it was really cool seeing him back, but I feel he had more to do in
the first one.
I get that, you know, like he goes off with Gilbert, you know, and acquires all of this
stuff.
But I don't know, I had more of an enjoyable time watching him in the first one than I
did in this one.
That's fair.
I'm glad we got to hear him talk a little bit in this one.
Yeah, same here.
How would you agree with that?
So I would actually go Billy Butcherson would be my number one because I enjoyed seeing
him on screen again.
And he he fit back into the role so frickin well, the way that he was just mouthing off
to everyone.
And I loved it.
So I'm giving him Doug Jones, my number one.
Number two, funny enough, I would actually give to the mayor played by Tony Hale.
Okay, that's fair.
I thought he was hilarious.
And like, I felt bad for him, too, because it's like, dude just wanted like a decent
caramel apple.
And he had to end up going to Walgreens for one and those ones frickin suck ass.
And I don't know, I that whole thing was super funny to me.
And like his his reaction to everything going on around him, like when the mob came and
was like surrounding him, he's like, oh my gosh, and then they like someone stole his
apple.
I don't know, there was just something about the way that he pulled that off that really
like stuck with me.
I get you.
My number three.
Shit, I actually might have to give it to the actress who played young Winifred.
Oh, dude, I forgot about yes, she was incredible.
She did so good, dude.
Oh my gosh.
She frickin killed it.
Yeah, she does.
Like she frickin Oh my gosh.
And I love the like the behind the scenes stuff that I was I've been reading on this movie.
Because Doug Jones was talking about when he came on set, dressed up as Billy Butcherson.
He's like, it felt like Elvis had just walked into the building the way everyone was just
like freaking out.
Oh, dude, that's awesome.
Yeah.
And I'm like, dude, granted, like, I get it.
Totally get it.
And then
Bette Midler has been talking about like her interactions with the actress who her name's
Taylor Henderson by the by the way, but like young Winifred and their interaction and like
getting the
the body language and posture down and like working with the teeth and everything like
so frickin funny.
Like I when I first saw her, I was like, I don't know how much I'm going to like this.
And then like the second she's on screen and pushing away everyone away and all that crazy
shit like I was like sold, absolutely sold on this little girl playing.
Winifred
Yeah, she was fantastic.
Yeah.
So that yeah, that's that's my ranking.
So yeah, Billy Mayer and then young Winifred.
I like it.
Alright, with that, what would you give their their acting?
Just because I loved seeing these three back in these roles, and I feel that they did a
really good job, even though some of the writing wasn't great for the three of them.
So you know, I'm
although some of the supporting cast does bring them down.
So I'm going to go a 78.
That's actually really fair.
And dude, I had high hopes like they started off strong.
Yeah, like when they brought in the the witch mother and everything like, it kind of was
a little like about it.
But after like, they started talking a little bit more and really getting into that discussion,
I was sold like I was absolutely sold.
I'm like, this movie is going to be really like, I thought it was going to be really
good because I'm like, the young actresses are killing it.
The frickin witch mother who's a new character is killing it.
Like, we're going to have the Sanderson sisters back and we know they're going to frickin
kill it.
And honestly, I feel like maybe they were the ones that underperformed, but it had such
a strong start.
And so as it went on and just like slowly started going down and down and down, it was
it was a little disappointing.
Yeah, I would agree.
I am I'm actually probably a little bit below you that the extras are the ones that killed
it for me.
Like wasn't the and the main girls like frickin Becca, Izzy and Cassie did not care for them.
Yeah.
And I mean, their performances were watchable.
No real complaints there.
It's just I don't know if there was some inconsistencies that I didn't care for.
No, that's absolutely fair.
So I think I'm going to be at like a seventy six.
All right.
Moving on over to character development, which this one's kind of tough to do.
Yeah, I mean, the only one that I feel like actually had a decent character growth, just
like seeing a lot more of like how she felt with her relationship with her sisters.
I guess you could say Winifred, but I don't really even know.
I don't know.
I don't really even know how you how I could do the character development for either of
like the main girls just because they really didn't get that much.
They really didn't.
So I might agree with you that since she was the only one that seemed to have any doing
it on Winifred.
OK.
Let's do it on Winifred Sanderson.
Yeah.
So they focus on Winifred as a young girl, 16, coming into her powers, having recently
been banished from her town in Salem and traveling into the Forbidden Woods and obtaining her
spell book from the witch mother.
And she's taught this lesson that a witch is nothing without her coven and to never
perform this like ultimate power spell.
The movie goes on.
Nothing too special.
The sisters appear and slowly work their way into their getting into the plan of becoming
or doing the power spell.
So once they once they perform that and this her sisters disappear, Winifred has a major
change of heart that seemingly comes out of nowhere.
And it's like her whole tone shifted.
It wasn't just like seriously though she was like she was getting ready to freaking like
bushwhack all of Salem and then realizes her sisters are gone and then like is almost like
pleading for something to be done.
Yeah.
And it's like I said, it's I don't feel it's out of character, but it definitely just kind
of came out of nowhere.
Yeah, I feel that's the best way to to to say it because honestly talking about it more.
Yeah, it doesn't necessarily feel out of character.
But yeah, like you said, it just comes out of nowhere and hits you in the face.
Yeah.
And so she gives up her ultimate power to be reunited with her sisters.
And I mean, I guess it's good ish.
This is one of those other ones.
It's so hard to to score the.
The development on this, it's like because we didn't we there was no growth for anyone
in this movie.
Yeah.
And unfortunately, it's I wouldn't consider this a horror movie.
Other like we could do like the logic, I guess.
But I don't even know how to do that for this one.
I wouldn't either.
So it's this is a tough one.
And here, I actually might be the same as my acting score, like seventy six, because
it was like.
OK.
Yeah, I think maybe just because for my initial reaction of how I felt like it was just completely
out of character, but like how we were, you know, like you, you know, I feel that you
helped me persuade just a little bit the other way.
So I think I'm just going to be one notch lower at a seventy five.
Completely fair.
All right.
Next up, we got effects.
And I don't know how to feel about this one.
It is very clear, or at least I feel a lot of people have said that this definitely feels
like a Disney Channel movie, and it definitely does.
Definitely in the effects wise, because there is a lot of the flying scenes that I'm just
like, yeah, I can totally tell that that's green screen.
You're not you're not even trying here.
That one I was a little tough on, like it because it's like it matched pretty closely
to the original.
I kind of had that same tone, like, but at least with the original, though, a lot of
that was wire work.
Yeah.
So I don't know if like if they even had any wire work in this movie.
They actually had a decent amount like they did.
Yeah.
Their takeoffs were all wire work.
OK, I can appreciate that.
Yeah.
It was the issues that I had were when they were flying above the town.
Yeah, that looked not good.
Yeah, it did not.
And I'd be interested to learn more, too, like when they were having the mob try and
find the mayor, whether or not that was a green screen or wire work, because that looked
really good.
Yeah, I would agree with that.
And it's like it was very inconsistent.
Like that's what sucks.
It's like it was in it was inconsistency.
Like sometimes they'd fly and you'd be like, oh, yeah, that is horrendous green screen.
Other times it's wire work and it looks OK for wire work.
It's not like, yeah, the best thing in the world, but it's decent wire work.
And then their magics.
Their magics look pretty decent.
Yeah, I'd agree with that.
I'm trying to think, like, can you recall any like magic that didn't look good?
Not off the top of my head.
Yeah, all the all the.
Abilities that everyone used again, it was used sparingly.
I think they used it a little bit more than they did in the original, which makes sense.
It was a little bit more expensive to do back then.
But I think they did like a similar enough job to.
I think they matched the effects pretty frickin well.
Like in comparison to the original.
Yeah, you know what?
I think I can agree.
Yeah, I mean, other than the shoddy green screen.
It wasn't wasn't bad.
Yeah, I might go.
Let's see.
I forget what.
I think we gave it an eighty nine like the original in eighty nine.
Just because I don't feel like these ones are going to hold up as well.
I think I'm going to be like an eighty seven.
Not on matchup.
All right.
Next up, we got music.
So what would you think of them?
Music.
Well, OK, so the two ones that the biggest songs that they sang in this were The Witches
Are Back, right?
Yes.
And what was it?
The pink.
I forget who sings it.
The one way or another.
I'm going to find you.
I don't know what it was like in the first one.
It made sense why they're doing that.
Like I put a spell on you like that just made sense.
But I don't know.
Like some some of the instances them using the The Witches Are Back or the I'm mostly
the The Witches Are Back just because that one just feels so out of just like right as
they come back from you know, from hell.
That's what they start breaking.
That's what they break into.
Right.
It's.
Yeah.
And I get it like, you know, after the the number ends or when it's about to end, the
Izzy is just like, who are they even performing to?
And Mary just like pops right next to her and she's like, we're singing for you.
So I'm like, OK, you know, I get it.
But I don't know.
I don't remember the sisters like being so like I mean, when they appeared in 93, they
never busted out into a song.
So why in 2022 they do?
Yeah.
And it's tough because they don't seem super performative in the original.
They know they do to enchant the adults.
Like you said, makes sense.
And I guess Sarah kind of has her own little performance to lure children.
That's dude, that I don't know if we touched upon that scene at all when we reviewed Hocus
Pocus, but like that Sarah Jessica Parker like deserves a frickin like round of applause
for like how creepy she made that that song.
She did such a real job.
So gosh, this one's tough because when they are sung, they they're decent, they're good.
Like I enjoy the performances.
It's just especially the witches are back just felt so out of place.
Yeah.
This is one that I think I might.
My personal idea of where I think the music would be is maybe like a seven.
But I think the performances were good enough to warrant an eight.
Like I know that seems like a small difference to everyone, but still.
No, honestly, I think I can agree with you.
I really do.
Yeah.
The rest of the scores were amazing.
Like everything fit.
It's just those two performances, but the performances were good.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Absolutely.
In the way of like the story and everything, that's where it kind of gets a little loosey
goosey like, oh, should that music have been there?
But the music itself was good.
Yeah, so absolutely agree.
I think that's kind of how I'm I'm scoring it.
This this go round.
Like if if I'm thinking like how it worked within the movie, I might actually be down
as far as a six.
That's fair.
But yeah, I think I'm at an eight just because of how well or how good the songs were by
themselves.
Yeah.
And then everything else seemed to work.
It just I think I think that's the perfect spot because it's like it.
I absolutely agree.
The songs were good.
Like if they would have fit better into where they were supposed to go, I think I might
have even been up to a nine.
But just because of how out of place, but the performances were good.
Eight is the solid answer.
Yeah, no, I absolutely agree.
All right.
Next up, we got costumes.
And damn it, if these ones aren't frickin amazing again.
Yeah, just as good as the original.
Yeah, like I still actually might be at a 10 with these.
I think they were that good.
Yeah, you know, I did.
I think I'm gonna agree.
Yeah, I mean, we we did that with the first focus.
We gave those costumes a 10 because of the Sanderson sisters and Billy.
And again, Sanderson's and Billy looked incredible.
No one else seemed to have any other costumes.
Actually, the witch mother, I loved her outfit, dude.
Yeah.
Oh, she looks so good.
She looked amazing.
So yeah, I have no issues giving this a 10.
I mean, if you got a killer costume, you got to kill her costume.
Yeah, no, absolutely agree.
So yeah, I'm at a 10 as well.
Some reason I was in my own head.
Yeah, I was just like really getting into.
All right, man, I was really thinking of those costumes.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, I don't know what happened.
When it's good, it's good.
Yeah, frickin apparently it was that good.
I don't know what happened.
I'm so sorry.
No, you're you're good.
It's this is where I feel our.
Attempt at being unbiased shows.
Because I mean, we could easily just go through and give these all like average scores.
But this is like one movie where there's one category that will friggin throw something
over the top, where some people don't take into consideration like, oh, it's not a good
like some people I think would be like, hey, this is a really shitty movie, shitty writing,
blah, blah, blah, like just completely rip it a new one and not really focus on anything
that was good about it.
Because there's always something good in a movie.
Other than maybe like food fight.
But yeah, we don't talk about that movie.
Yeah.
So, I mean, there's always something good about every movie.
And with this movie, it was the frickin music and the costumes that just killed it.
Like the music didn't fit.
So that's why it didn't score higher.
But yeah, the costumes, anyone making an argument that the costumes deserve less than the 10
is out of their frickin mind.
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
So costumes getting a 10.
Last up, we got our own personal score.
So would you like to take this one first?
I would love to.
So overall, I did walk away from Hocus Pocus too disappointed.
Not fully.
I will admit it was great seeing these three back together again playing the Sanderson
sisters.
They honestly didn't miss a beat.
If I have some problems with them, it's not the actresses fault.
It's the writing.
And especially with Sarah's character, that that's really where my problem lies is just
the writing.
It's a lot better than the first one for her.
But it's just the supporting characters are very bland.
The story is not super solid.
It wasn't a sequel that I was hoping for.
But at the same time, I always felt that the first one didn't really even need a sequel.
They tied it up very well.
It made sense why the Sanderson sisters wouldn't be able to return again.
It feels like an unnecessary sequel.
I feel they could have done a little better, but in a way, I guess they did the best that
they could.
The biggest thing that you can take away from this movie, it is so great seeing Bette Midler,
Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker playing these three characters again.
That's the best part of this movie.
Honestly, that's what I knew was going to be the best part, and I'm grateful that is
the best part.
So I'll go with a 71.
I think that's pretty reasonable.
I had high expectations for this movie.
Thinking, hey, this is a great movie being made in modern times.
They can cut out the fluff of...
If they can just capture the magic of the original, that would be perfect.
I think that's where they fell short.
They just didn't capture that magic.
The only bit that they were able to capture was the relationship between the Sandersons.
That was the only thing.
Then obviously they had Billy, like Butcherson, which was great.
I'm glad that they made that tie in to the original.
I would have maybe liked to see a little bit more fan service from maybe bringing in the
actors or maybe not even the actors if those actors were unwilling or not working as actors
anymore.
Which kind of sucks because the little girl...
What was her name?
Max?
From the original?
She's still acting.
Danny.
Danny, that's right.
Who's Max?
Max was the brother.
Yeah, Max was the brother.
So yeah, Danny.
Danny still acts.
So it's kind of sad that they didn't bring her in.
I don't know if they attempted to or whatever, but I think this could have used a little
more of nostalgia sprinkles.
Yeah, I agree.
But yeah, honestly, I'll probably go back and watch the original before I come back
and watch this one.
Yeah, dude, same.
Absolutely the same.
And that sucks.
Like honestly, the only thing I might watch this for is like the opening sequence with
the young sisters.
Yeah, because that was great.
Yeah, that was awesome.
So yeah, I might be...
Gosh, I'm actually a little lower than you with my personal score.
I think I'm sitting at like a 68.
Fair enough, dude.
Fair enough.
I understand.
Yeah, I didn't have that good of a time watching it.
It was just more me wanting to go back and watch the original.
But yeah, so with that, that concludes this week's breakdown.
And going through each of the categories real quick, the story starting off pretty in the
average range, sitting at a 70.
Acting scored half a point higher than that, so it's sitting at a 70.5.
Our acting was a significant improvement, sitting at a 77.
Character development went down a little bit, sitting at a 75.5.
The effects brought it up quite a bit, sitting at a solid 87.
The music, like we said, really excellent music, just didn't quite fit well with the
tone of the movie, so it's sitting at an 8.
And then the costumes, without a doubt, sitting at a solid 10, because who can freaking beat
the Sanderson sisters?
And then our personal score averaged out to a 69.5, which makes that our lowest category.
So with that, the final Albrows letter grade for Hocus Pocus 2 has come to a...
C!
Okay, I can agree with that.
Yeah, it's a fairly solid C, so our range for C is...
Oh, hold on.
Yeah, our range for C is anywhere between a 76...
Or no, sorry, 73 and 76.
And this movie is sitting at a 74.91%.
Okay.
Yeah, so it's definitely in the middle there.
So comparing this to other movies of the C score, Hocus Pocus 2 has been put below Surf's
Up, which is sitting at a 74.96.
You said it's above that?
Uh, below.
Oh, below, sorry.
Yeah, it is also below Power Rangers, which is at a 75.18.
Yeah, I'm okay with that.
It is below Venom, which is at a 75.22.
It is below The Rise of Skywalker, which is at a 75.31.
And then finally it is below Ant-Man and the Wasp, which is at a 75.33.
Going the opposite direction, it is above Scoob, which is at a 74.81.
Yeah.
You know what, honestly, I think I probably did enjoy this more than Scoob.
Really?
Yeah, I think I can actually agree with that.
Alright, let's see.
It's also above Unfriended, which is at a 74.5.
It is above Fantasy Island, which is at a 74.37.
Yeah, I hated that movie.
It is above Star Wars The Last Jedi, which is at a 74.28.
And then finally it is above The Forever Purge, which is at a 73.31.
Fair enough.
Yeah.
I think it has a pretty decent home.
Yeah, I would absolutely agree.
So yeah.
Anyway, that concludes this week's breakdown.
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Next week, you guys can look forward to our breakdown of Halloween ends.
I know Rose is beyond excited for this movie.
So excited.
Yeah.
So we'll be talking about that next week.
And I'm trying to think if I missed anything.
I don't think I did.
Yeah, I don't think you did either.
Yeah.
So yeah.
Next.
So you guys can look forward to that next week.
Until then, this has been the All Bros podcast.
I'm Caleb and I'm Jonathan.
And we'll catch you guys next time.
Deuces.
Ha?
See, are we?
Oh, God, no.
What the shit was that?
I have no idea.
That was Mickey in puberty for the first time.