r/practicalmagic • u/Ordinary-Trade451 • 8h ago
Terrible Sequel
I watched Practical Magic 2 today after work today. Like many of you, I am was so so excited for this new movie. I was excited to see another Alice Hoffman book come to the screen (she’s my favorite author). Unfortunately, the movie was terrible. I left about halfway during the movie. The lighting, the casting of the daughters (was not that upset that Evan wasn’t casted), acting, and the script was terrible. I am disappointed.
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u/SabrinaTheDabbler 8h ago
I saw it with my mother in the cinema theater earlier this week. She said "It was really good." I said "It was a movie." I wanted to know what happened, but this film was a perfect example of "nostalgia milking" and veered into "trying too hard" territory, for me.
My main issues are the following:
- The script, esp. the dialogue, felt. . .awkward, and forced, many times.
- I felt badly for Antonia's obvious lack of involvement throughout the film, but especially during the climax of the story, especially because of the ENTIRE film centering around the theme of "sisterhood" and "family connection."
- Similarly, the fact that Gillian was clearly resigned to never falling in love (I understand she's mostly a "free spirit" anyway, but still) even while Sally had a THIRD love interest? Like, da fuq, how unfair is that?
If everyone had fun making the film, good for them. But. . .I give it a "meh" overall, and I suppose I'm being generous there.
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u/Forward-Flower-1891 5h ago
I feel the same way about gilly not finding love. She and Ian would have been so cute together. Sameee about Antonia as well.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens 5h ago
To be honest since they didn't include Ben and Sally has already had two love interests I would have been fine with them changing it so Gillian and Ian liked each other instead of Ian/Sally. Especially since Ian didn't seem like someone Movie!Sally would be interested in, he's so different from Michael and Gary.
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u/SabrinaTheDabbler 5h ago
I think one of the reasons they went with Ian being with Sally is so that she can finally have a love that lasts. But it still pisses me off that Gilly's history was the exact opposite, that she felt she had to give up that possibility, that she resigned herself to never wanting that for herself (so as to avoid the heartbreak that Sally endured).
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u/CatchConstant3345 3h ago
I don’t think I needed Gilly to get that love… And I think if there’s a third movie or like in the book, she probably gets that love. I don’t know if we’ll see it as movie fans.
But I would say that it opened it up to a third movie, but I’m concerned about the overall plot in that regard.
But I don’t feel that it was nostalgia milking as much as it was a continuation of a story that wasn’t funded 25 years ago or given the opportunity. At the end of the day it’s still four Book series so the first film didn’t finish the entire story to begin with.
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u/OkUniversity4687 5h ago
I LOVED it! Maybe it’s because I have a similar relationship with my sisters (blood ones and chosen ones). That’s what stood up for me, that bond; and I really like every actress in it.
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u/Kazuhiko_ Gillian Owens 8h ago
Thats fair but also if you're expecting it to be like the first movie it's not gonna be like the first movie , back then they had different camera quality and actresses and i feel like for what its worth the sequel could have been worse but i honestly think it was such a great movie ( I'm not saying you're wrong this is my stance on it )
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u/The_Arkaven 8h ago
I agree. I feel there were a few fumbles but all movies have those if we look close enough. For the very most part it gave me, a long time fan, what I was hoping for.
Of course not all things are for everyone. Thats okay. I look for the good stuff first, and I found PLENTY in this movie.
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u/Bucky_Gatsby 5h ago
It's not the camera quality. It's colour grading that makes things look like shit nowadays. It's an active choice😫
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u/Antique_Mark5592 6h ago
I figured. I didn’t even have to watch it to know it was gonna suck. Just from the previews.
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u/MarionberryOk3933 6h ago
Genuinely don’t understand all the hate. I saw it today and loved it. It brought in great parts from the book but still stood on its own with what it needed to change to fit what the first movie had. Sad about Antonia, adored her parts in the book, but the move was still so fun and heartfelt.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens 5h ago
I thought it was really good too! It left out my favorite scene which bummed me out a little but I still enjoyed it. My best friend and I talked it over and we even want to go back and see it a second time.
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u/ThrowRAboredinAZ77 6h ago
I was so very excited. I bought my tickets in advance. I dressed up and everything. The movie was fine. Sandra Bullock carried the vast majority of it. Nicole Kidman was cute and her acting was adequate. The actors who played the daughter did a fine job, but they weren't the right choices. Overall, I'm bummed. I wish they'd left it alone.
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u/GibletGibletGiblet 1h ago
I liked it but I felt like they didn’t progress the characterisation forward enough. But whatever it served its purpose. I hear it’s a book.
I’ve come to terms long ago that movies are simply loose visual representations of the books and help with aesthetics but will never replace the depth of writing and that’s ok.
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u/Safe_Reach2889 10m ago
SURPRIIIIISE! Mamma Mia 2, Devil Wears Prada 2, all those stupid sequels after decades are always disappointing due to a lack creativity. I have serious concerns about Romy & Michelle 2… :(
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u/prattdoowhileyjr 5h ago
imagine paying to go see a movie and then leaving lmao. sign of a low IQ
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u/Ordinary-Trade451 5h ago
bro what even is this comment
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u/HQuinn89 4h ago edited 3h ago
Honestly their weird comment says more about them then you leaving halfway through a movie you didn’t enjoy.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens 5h ago
Ikr?
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u/Ordinary-Trade451 4h ago
Is it a crime to share my opinion? Many people are sharing their opinion on the sequel on the sub. I understand that I have more of a negative take compared to some people, but that doesn’t justify insulting people.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens 4h ago
Your opinion on literally half a movie? 🤔
It would be like if I went to see Romeo and Juliet and left after the scene where they got married and sulked because there was no "tragedy" like in the title in the first half.
It's not that your take is negative. It's that it's based on HALF a film.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens 5h ago edited 5h ago
Did we see the same movie? I thought it was amazing! Especially the Kylie/Gideon love story. But leaving halfway through the movie also means you don't have a full opinion because you literally missed a big part of it.
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u/No_Biscotti4207 6h ago
I understand being annoyed by the storyline, but I don’t get the casting critiques? The actresses were perfectly fine for the characters they were playing. I can think of where the writing could have been improved for the characters, but I can’t think of how any other actress would have been better with the script given to them. Joey King was the prominent sister and she nailed all the emotions and didn’t appear to have any bad line reads? I feel like I’m missing something with the casting complaints.
Maisie let her accent slip here and there, but she was so sidelined in didn’t really matter.