TechRadar pans 'Practical Magic 2' as a 'money grab' that abandons the original's charm

The review acknowledges some strengths: performances by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing as the aunts are called the sequel’s biggest saving grace, and Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are “largely on form.” Brief flashes of the original whimsy can be found, it says. But these positives are outweighed by a list of flaws, including poor story choices, cringe-worthy dialogue, and a nearly complete absence of the original film’s charm.

TechRadar outlines the plot: Sally Owens’ daughters, Kylie and Antonia, are grown up and no longer practice magic. When Kylie’s boyfriend dies in a fatal accident, the Owens curse resurfaces, forcing Sally and Gillian to intervene. The review says the story then shifts from the cozy, nineties Massachusetts atmosphere into a “knockoff Harry Potter film” as the action splits between the US and UK.

The outlet criticizes the narrative decisions, noting that despite much talk about sisterhood, the drama increasingly centers on a man the audience has never met. It complains that one particularly catastrophic plot choice early on taints the rest of the film, and that the final showdown is boring, with unconvincing CGI. The review also labels certain inclusions of original motifs, such as midnight margaritas, as disingenuous.

The reviewer concludes that the sequel fails to recapture the essence of the first movie, while predicting that it will still perform well at the box office in the near term. “But where is the actual magic?” the review asks.