Hocus Pocus and Unnecessary Sequels Too

Recently, the new Hocus Pocus dropped and only one thing came to mind… “Why?” 

Why did they decide to make a sequel to a movie almost 30 years later? 

Why was a sequel even needed?! 

Hocus Pocus 2, the entire thing is just unnecessary and should disappear.

This sequel seems like such a waste of time it led me to think about other unnecessary sequels and remakes of movies. 

Then, Alacazam! We have this thinkpiece. 

In case you don’t want to take my word for sequels, I’m pulling out a rabbit – or rather the closest thing to a film expert I could find – out of my hat to focus on this troubling topic. 

I used to talk to Allison Melvin about movies during her sophomore year in English class. Melvin talked “movies” so much she eventually decided to form a Film Club with her best friend. 

Film Club is a relaxed group that helps students to unwind and bond with one another. They discuss movies, eat snacks, and overall just go with the flow. It can help people make friends while sharing a common interest in movies. 

The best part about Film Club is that they don’t have a set genre of movies they watch. They’re open to anything. They’ve watched popular movies, thriller movies, and even indie movies. The point is that Melvin is someone you can trust when it comes to movies.

When it comes to sequels, Melvin said it’s all about the movie’s mindset.

“Sequels go in with a mindset of trying to beat movies,” Melvin said. “They don’t try to match the original movie.” 

Can sequels achieve such a difficult goal? 

Yes, Melvin said. 

Shrek 2 is an example of a “good” sequel that tried to match the first movie instead of beating it. 

What about remakes, I asked?

“Remakes aren’t good work unless they change up the story a bit,” Melvin said. “Cinderella and Maleficent did that well.” 

Remakes generally don’t have a purpose, Melvin said, since they’re just retelling the same story over and over. 

Lastly, I asked her opinion on movies inspired by video games or books. 

“It shouldn’t matter that much then because they’re separate,” Melvin said. “They shouldn’t be dependent upon each other.” 

Overall, Melvin’s opinion, much like mine, was a lack of interest in seeing the same movie, something clearly a copy and paste presentation. I agree. The problem with most movies nowadays is that they just seem like a cash grab. Ca-ching! Ca-ching!

After all, this was my issue with Hocus Pocus. I’ve only watched the trailer. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. It just seems to be a replica of the original, except for a couple of characters and more modern lingo. 

Sequels, no? 

Now, prequels…

If anything, they should have made a prequel to the movie because it would be more interesting to see more about the witches’ backgrounds. 

I’m not trying to say that all sequels are bad but a good chunk of them are. 

At the end of the day, it all comes down to your personal preference.

When it comes to most sequels, I prefer to just say “No.”