Kristian Harloff's Out of Theater Reaction: Practical Magic 2 Is "Definitely a Win" for Fans of the First Film

I went straight from the theater to my office to share my out of theater reaction to Practical Magic 2, though the embargo is still up so this is not yet a full review, just initial thoughts. I had actually watched the original Practical Magic for the first time only the day before. It is an old school, classic 90s Sandra Bullock film that I could see was beloved in its time, which made me curious how the nostalgia factor of a sequel would play out.

My verdict: the chemistry between the leads that made the first film work is still there, and the sequel keeps the same tone rather than turning campy. It still feels like the 90s style that made the original popular, while folding in Sandra Bullock's daughters and expanding on the family curse storyline, passing the torch from the older characters to the younger ones.

Joey King "Absolutely Stood Out" With Real Emotional Moments

Joey King is the standout of Practical Magic 2. She delivers some real emotional moments that I particularly liked. The movie overall has genuine emotional beats, which I count as one of its strengths, and the focus of the film really belongs to Sandra Bullock and Joey King.

On the rest of the cast: Nicole Kidman's character isn't overdone in this one, and Lee Pace was "really solid." I liked what was done with his character. Bullock herself is always great to see back on screen. She hasn't been around as much and has been in the press more lately, so "you just feel like okay Sandy B is back and you can feel it here with this movie."

"They Found a Story" Rather Than Just Cashing In

On the worry that a legacy sequel like this could feel desperate or unnecessary, I would push back directly: "They found a story. They found some emotion and it's good." The film might run a little long and could be predictable here and there, but that ultimately didn't bother me. It is one of those feel-good movies that takes you back to the old time.

My overall call is that if you liked the first Practical Magic, you're going to love the second one. It is a really solid follow-up and "definitely a win" for fans of the original. People looking forward to the movie are going to be surprised, and even those who get dragged along by a significant other are likely to be pleasantly surprised.