Practical Magic 2 finally brings us back to the world of the Owens sisters and honestly there's something really nice about seeing Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman together again after all these years... After Nearly three decades since the original movie, we're back with Sally & Gillian Owens.. two sisters whose family has been dealing with a rather unfortunate problem for generations... Apparently, being an Owens woman comes with two things: magical powers and serious relationship problems... Imagine inheriting a family gift that allows you to perform magic, only to discover that your love life comes with a curse... At this point, I'd be asking my ancestors for a refund...
The sequel takes place years after the original story.. Sally is now a mother to two daughters, Kylie and Antonia, played by Joey King and Maisie Williams. She's tried to keep the family's magical history away from her children, hoping to protect them from the same troubles that have followed the Owens women for generations.
But secrets don't stay buried forever because, When Kylie begins experiencing problems connected to the family's curse, Sally and Gillian find themselves pulled back into a world of magic, complicated relationships, and dangerous secrets and just like that, the family business is back open..
What I enjoyed most about this movie is the relationship between Sally and Gillian.
These two sisters are very different people, and that's what makes them work so well together... Sally is more cautious. She wants stability, a normal family life, and some peace for once... Gillian, on the other hand, has always been the more unpredictable one. She's the kind of person who can turn a bad situation into an even bigger problem before you've finished explaining the original problem to her but underneath all their differences, there's genuine love.
They argue, they frustrate each other, and sometimes they make decisions that leave you wondering whether they share the same brain cell...
Still, when things get serious, they show up for each other and for me, that's the heart of Practical Magic 2... It's not really about witches flying around and throwing spells at people. It's about family, forgiveness, generational trauma, and the things we inherit from the people who came before us.
Sometimes that inheritance is money... Sometimes it's a house and sometimes it's a centuries-old curse that ruins your romantic life... Life is not fair.
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman remain the biggest reason to watch this movie... Their chemistry feels familiar, and they bring enough humour and emotion to make Sally and Gillian feel like people we've known for years.
I also enjoyed seeing Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing return as Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny. Those two bring a certain eccentric charm to the story that would have been difficult to replace and then we have the younger cast... Joey King and Maisie Williams help introduce a new generation of Owens women, giving the story a chance to explore what happens when family secrets are passed down to people who never asked for them.
I like that idea because it gives the sequel a reason to exist beyond simply bringing back familiar faces.
The family story has moved forward, even if the family problems haven't disappeared.
Visually, the movie also keeps that dreamy, slightly spooky atmosphere that made the original so memorable... The magic isn't always about massive supernatural battles or impressive special effects. Sometimes it's in the atmosphere, the old family traditions, the strange little rituals, and the feeling that there's something unusual hiding behind an ordinary moment... That's the kind of magic I enjoy.
But one problem is that the sequel leans heavily on nostalgia. There are moments when you can almost feel it reminding you, "Remember the first movie? Remember these characters? Remember how much you loved this world?"
Yes, we remember!.. Now tell us a new story...
Some parts of the plot also feel familiar, especially when the movie returns to the idea of romantic curses and complicated relationships. I wanted a little more development in certain areas instead of watching the story revisit ideas we've already seen and with so many characters involved, not everyone gets the attention they deserve... Still, I don't think the movie needed to completely reinvent the franchise.
Sometimes you just want to revisit a world you enjoyed, spend time with characters you missed, and see how their lives have changed and Practical Magic 2 understands that... The film's biggest strength is its focus on sisterhood and the idea that love doesn't have to be romantic to be powerful. The bond between Sally and Gillian remains central, even as the story introduces their daughters and the next generation of family witches.
For me, that's what makes the sequel worth watching... Because beneath all the witchcraft, curses, and romantic complications, there's a simple message: the people who love you can help you survive the things you cannot face alone and sometimes, the people who love you are also the people who drive you completely insane... Both things can be true.
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Rating: 36/100