From Rolling Stone · Angie Martoccio · · 1m 30s
Critics hated 'Practical Magic 2.' Fans never asked them
A 34 percent score, a long list of complaints, and a fandom that waited 28 years and does not care.
In brief
A 34 percent score, a long list of complaints, and a fandom that waited 28 years and does not care. Some movies are made for the people who already love them, and a critic score cannot measure that. Originally reported by Rolling Stone.
A 34 percent welcome
Practical Magic 2 landed on Rotten Tomatoes this week at 34 percent. Some critics wish the sequel had never been made at all.
“And some critics wish it hadn't been made at all.”
The sisters are back
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as Sally and Gillian Owens, 28 years later, directed by Susanne Bier.
The curse gets personal
Sally's daughters Kylie and Antonia learn they're witches and the family curse is real. When Kylie's boyfriend ends up in a coma, she runs to London to break it.
The complaint list
Harsh bright lighting instead of the autumnal glow. Characters sidelined or killed off. CGI where minimal magic used to be. The beloved New England house barely appears.
“Why the hell are we in London, anyway?”
The original got trashed too
The 1998 film was widely panned, with critics hung up on its tonal swings. Director Griffin Dunne made those swings on purpose.
“I've always been drawn to the light and the dark, and I like them in the same [scene], because that's what life feels like.”
Eviscerated, and sexist about it
Bullock says they got eviscerated. Producer Denise Di Novi remembers reviewers counting the women on screen and finding too many.
“How many women can you fit in one movie? In Practical Magic, too many.”
Not made for critics
It's for the fans with belladonna decals on their rearview mirrors and midnight margarita parties every Halloween. They knew it wasn't Citizen Kane and never wanted it to be.
“Practical Magic 2 was not made for you.”
What it means
Some movies are made for the people who already love them, and a critic score cannot measure that.
