Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this movie involves a plot to suck the life force out of children (and one little girl dies that way). A couple of high school bullies harass a male classmate in a graveyard, asking him for "smokes" and "hash" and finally stealing his shoes. There are mild sexual references, such as a high school boy hugging his pillow and murmuring, "Oh, Allison, you're so soft," as well as some frisky flirting from one of the witches. The main character is teased about being a virgin. The body of an "unfaithful lover" rises from the grave. Main features of the story are a book bound in human skin and a candle made from the fat of a hanged man. A tale is told about the Devil, and there are various gross-out moments. But it's important to note that all of the above is done in the playful, spooky spirit of Halloween.
Families can talk about scary stories, and parents can share their memories of Halloween. What's your all-time favorite costume? How do you want to dress up this year? Depending on kids' age, they may be interested in learning about the Salem witch trials, too. If kids are at all spooked by the movie, families can talk about why. What scared you? Do you think it was meant to be scary?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Maria Llull
Three hundred years ago in Salem, Mass., three witches murdered a little girl and cursed her older brother, Thackery, turning him into an immortal cat. The witches, better known as the Sanderson Sisters, are hanged for the crime, but just before their sentence is carried out, Winnie Sanderson (Bette Midler), casts a spell to bring them back to life on a future Halloween night. ...
Cut to the present. High schooler Max (Omri Katz) is the new kid in Salem and doesn't share the local affinity for Halloween. He does, however, have an affinity for Allison (Vinessa Shaw), a girl in his class. When Max takes his little sister, Dani (Thora Birch), trick-or-treating, they meet Allison, and decide to take a creepy journey to the old Sanderson house. Because he's a virgin, when Max lights a bewitched candle, he unwittingly performs the exact act that will bring the sisters back to life.
Rising from the grave, the sisters are immediately hell-bent on finding the spell book that Max and the others have run off with into the night. The sisters must concoct a spell from the book that will suck the life force out of at least one child before Halloween night ends, since the spell that brought them back to life expires when the sun rises. With the help of Thackery, the kids do their best to outwit, outrun, and outlast the witches.
HOCUS POCUS is full of silly moments. Some of the best scenes involve the Sanderson Sisters -- Winnie, Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) -- walking through Salem on Halloween night, encountering costumed children. They perform "I Put a Spell on You" at a dance and mistake a man dressed as the Devil for the real thing and call him their "master." There are plot holes, and a lot of the film is predictable, but it's good Halloween fun nonetheless.
Families who like this movie might also enjoy The Worst Witch or Escape to Witch Mountain.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentReferences to virginity and an unfaithful lover; some flirting. Boy hugs a pillow and says "Oh, Allison, you're so soft." |
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ViolenceThe violence is all magical, but there are a couple of gross-out scenes, such as a cat getting run over by a bus and a zombie cutting his mouth open. Some bullying; a child dies onscreen but not violently -- the witches take her life-force while she's in a trance-like state and she quietly slumps over in a chair. |
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LanguageMild; the only offenders are "damn," "wench," "moron," and "go to hell." |
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Social BehaviorThere are bullies and bad witches, but these characters are clearly in the wrong. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoReferences to "hash" and "smokes," but none are smoked by the kids or adults. |
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