‘Practical Magic 2’: A little less darkness, a lot more magic

Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gilly (Nicole Kidman) (Warner Bros. Pictures)

It was a very long wait between “Practical Magic” and its sequel. We spent 28 years putting limes in coconuts and drinking them all up. The wait was worth it.

“Practical Magic” was essentially a dark movie, but that isn’t what people remember most about it. What stayed with us was the light, the joy, the freedom, the love of life and, of course, the magic.

“Practical Magic 2” takes everything we loved about the first movie and gives us a heaping handful of it.

There is still darkness in the sequel, but it is nowhere near as heavy as it was in part one. Because of that, I personally found this movie more enjoyable and much less disturbing. The shenanigans of the Owens sisters, across all generations, were as entertaining as ever.

Franny (Stockard Channing), Jet (Dianne Wiest), Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gilly (Nicole Kidman) are back, along with Sally’s daughters, who are now adults themselves. Time must have been very friendly to this cast of characters, and it was great to visit with them once more.

Franny (Stockard Channing), Jet (Dianne Wiest) (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Wiest, as always, brings such softness and gentleness to Jet. She can grab hold of your emotions and make you feel things just from the twinkle in her eyes.

Channing’s Franny is more mellow this time around. I did miss some of her old feistiness, but considering how much time has passed, it makes sense.

The movie doesn’t have to rebuild their relationship for us because we already know these women. The foundation of their sisterhood was cemented in stone 28 years ago, and the sequel simply picks up from there. It brings you right back into that family and everything that comes with it: the loyalty, the history and, most of all, the love.

Joey King and Maisie Williams as Kylie and Antonia (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The younger Owens women are played by Joey King and Maisie Williams as Kylie and Antonia. Much of the story revolves around Kylie, and King is given plenty to work with. Antonia, unfortunately, gets much less. I would have liked to see more of Williams because, for me, she felt almost like a token character at times. She is there, but the movie doesn’t do nearly enough with her. It made me wonder if perhaps Antonia is being saved for something bigger down the road. Could there eventually be a “Practical Magic 3” with her story at its center? I certainly wouldn’t mind.

Then there’s Lee Pace as Ian Bright, who brings a wonderful wit to the movie and was easily one of the highlights for me. In a film filled with characters we’ve loved for decades, it says something that a newcomer can come in and be that memorable. He fits surprisingly well into this strange, magical world without taking anything away from the characters we came back to see.

Lee Pace as Ian Bright (Warner Bros. Pictures)

I loved the plethora of life quotes in the movie. There are so many that I’m sure a few of them will eventually become memes, captions or even guiding themes for people who want to live life to the fullest. The imagery also stayed with me. One scene in particular, involving the moon and the clouds, struck me. That’s all I can say without giving anything away, but for me, that image foreshadowed the theme of the movie beautifully.

Twenty-eight years ago, Practical Magic taught us to live a little. This time around, “Practical Magic 2” teaches us to live a lot.