If you want better cinematography
Choose Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. It scores 5.0 vs 1.3 for cinematography, with a 3.7 overall score.
Practical Magic 2 Movie Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for Bullock and Kidman’s enduring chemistry, sisterhood emotion, and fan-friendly nostalgia. Skip it if you want tight plotting, brisk pacing, or the original’s looser, cozier charm.
Best for
Fans of the original who mainly want more time with Bullock, Kidman, the Owens family, sisterhood themes, and familiar witchy nostalgia are the strongest fit.
Not for
Viewers looking for a tight, briskly paced story, substantial character growth, or the original’s warmer low-key atmosphere are the most likely to come away disappointed.
Verdict
Practical Magic 2 works best when it lets Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman bounce off each other, because their sisterly chemistry remains the clearest reason to return. Several reviewers also respond warmly to the film’s family themes, emotional losses, costumes, production design, and music. The tradeoff is a screenplay that many find overstuffed, repetitive, and contrived, stretched across a frequently criticized 130-minute runtime. Joey King earns substantial praise, while Maisie Williams is repeatedly described as underused, and reactions to Lee Pace’s romantic subplot vary sharply. For devoted fans, the nostalgia and affection can still cast a spell; for less invested viewers, the weaker pacing and plotting make the reunion much harder to embrace.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
44 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.08 (18%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.49 (20%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.412 (27%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.411 (25%)
-
Very negative below 1.54 (9%)
Pros
-
Bullock and Kidman’s sisterly chemistry is the most consistent strength, repeatedly described as effortless, joyful, and essential. Romantic chemistry is much more uneven, especially around Sally and Ian.
-
Bullock and Kidman remain the movie’s most dependable attraction, with many reviews praising their ease, charisma, and return to Sally and Gillian. A smaller but forceful group criticizes the performances as mannered or undercut by weak material.
-
Fan-oriented reactions are considerably warmer than the critical consensus, with multiple reviews saying longtime viewers are the group most likely to enjoy the return.
-
Emotional response is highly split: some reviewers cried repeatedly and found the family losses deeply moving, while others thought the climax had not earned its emotional weight.
-
Supporting performances are generally liked, especially Joey King, Lee Pace, Dianne Wiest, and Stockard Channing. Maisie Williams is repeatedly described as underused or squandered.
-
Production design is a strong visual asset, with praise for jewel-toned spaces, fairy-tale architecture, cozy details, and attractive locations.
Cons
-
The roughly 130-minute runtime is one of the strongest points of agreement, repeatedly described as overlong, criminally long, or far longer than the story can justify.
-
The screenplay is the most repeated major complaint, criticized as weak, overstuffed, repetitive, contrived, and unable to support the ensemble or emotional stakes.
-
The plot is one of the most criticized elements, repeatedly described as convoluted, thin, improbable, contrived, or mechanically assembled.
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Dialogue is a recurring complaint, described as woeful, repetitive, flatly informational, and at times painfully unfunny.
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Character growth is one of the clearest weaknesses. Reviews repeatedly say returning characters regress or stagnate, while Antonia and other supporting figures are given too little development.
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Tone is a persistent weakness, with reviews describing the sequel as a tonal mess or unable to settle between comedy, drama, whimsy, and darker supernatural material.
Cast & Creators
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KylieKing is one of the most consistently praised additions, often called terrific, solid, or a source of needed emotional urgency. Even positive assessments note that the script can make Kylie frustratingly impulsive.
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GillianKidman’s return as Gillian is widely enjoyed for its looseness, comic energy, and rapport with Bullock. Some critics dislike the ditzier direction of the character or feel the writing reduces what she can do.
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SallyBullock is one of the sequel’s biggest draws, repeatedly praised for warmth, comic timing, and her chemistry with Kidman. A minority of reviews finds Sally’s performance overly awkward or constrained by the script.
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JetWiest’s return is warmly received, with reviews praising the elegance, warmth, and emotional weight she brings to Jet despite limited screen time.
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FrannyChanning is welcomed back with strong affection, and reviewers credit her with elegance, warmth, and emotional heft even when the story sidelines the older generation.
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Ian WrightPace is highly divisive: several reviews call him magnetic, charming, compelling, or a standout, while others see Ian as a romantic misfire whose chemistry with Bullock feels forced.
View all 44 feature scores and cast & creators
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Movies, this product is above average in realism, cultural representation, suspense, near average in supporting cast performance, lead performance, below average in cinematography, drama quality, editing quality.
Comparison summary
44 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher10 (23%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts8 (18%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower26 (59%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| cinematography | 1.3 | 4.2 | -2.9 |
| drama quality | 1.5 | 3.4 | -1.9 |
| editing quality | 1.5 | 3.4 | -1.9 |
| critic appeal | 1.7 | 3.5 | -1.8 |
| tonal consistency | 1.5 | 3.2 | -1.7 |
| realism | 5.0 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| dialogue quality | 1.3 | 2.9 | -1.7 |
| scares | 2.0 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better screenplay quality
Choose Exit 8. It scores 4.8 vs 1.5 for screenplay quality, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better tonal consistency
Choose Rose of Nevada. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for tonal consistency, with a 4.5 overall score.
If you want better critic appeal
Choose Leviticus. It scores 5.0 vs 1.7 for critic appeal, with a 4.2 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Enchanted 2
- Worse: legacy sequel quality The reviewer considers it a stronger legacy sequel than Enchanted 2.
Hocus Pocus 2
- Worse: legacy sequel quality The reviewer considers it a stronger legacy sequel than Hocus Pocus 2.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
- Better: legacy sequel quality The reviewer still recommends the film overall but rates it below The Devil Wears Prada 2.
FAQ
Is Practical Magic 2 worth seeing if I loved the original?
Fans are the most likely to enjoy it: several reviews say the reunion, familiar tone, and Bullock-Kidman chemistry still work. Less nostalgic viewers are much more likely to be frustrated by the plotting and runtime.
Are Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman still good together?
Yes, their sisterly chemistry is the strongest point of agreement across the reviews. Even many negative takes say their rapport, timing, and affection keep the sequel watchable.
Is the sequel emotionally moving?
For some reviewers, very much so: several describe crying and being strongly affected by the family losses and sisterhood themes. Others say the rushed or contrived plotting keeps the emotional beats from fully landing.
Is the 130-minute runtime a problem?
For many reviewers, yes. The length is repeatedly criticized as excessive, with complaints about slow stretches, extended endings, and mystery plotting that takes too long to resolve.
How are Joey King and Maisie Williams?
Joey King is frequently praised as one of the strongest additions. Maisie Williams is generally not blamed for the problems, but reviewers repeatedly say Antonia is sidelined and given too little to do.
Does it preserve the original movie’s cozy witchy feel?
Only partly. Some reviews enjoy the costumes, production design, nostalgia, and magical world, while others miss the warmer New England atmosphere and find the sequel glossier, flatter, or less whimsical.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Breakfast All Day movie reviews
- Review score
- 1.7
Article Reviews
imdb.com
IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.
- Review score
- 4.0
spotlightreport.net
Revisiting the whimsical, moonlit world of the Owens family nearly three decades later feels like an event built primarily on nostalgia...
- Review score
- 3.8
latimes.com
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock reunite for a belated sequel that should swirl up the old feelings in ’90s-nostalgic viewers.
- Review score
- 4.6
vulture.com
‘Practical Magic 2’ is a shell of its former self. It has none of the joy of the original, only the calculated machinations of studio...
- Review score
- 2.0
deadline.com
The Sandra Bullock-Nicole Kidman reteam 'Practical Magic 2' is looking at a $30M opening.
- Review score
- 3.3
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