This surprised me… in a good way.  I went in with low expectations given (a) I didn’t like the 1998 original, (b) a sequel made 28 years later gives off “cash grab” vibes, and (c) the trailer was uninspiring. It’s nice to be caught off guard, however.  Anchored by the leading performances of Oscar winners Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Practical Magic 2 is worth the price of admission.

Witches Gillian (Kidman) and Sally Owens (Bullock) are now middle-aged and while they still share a deep connection as sisters, they’ve chosen different paths for their lives.  Gillian has embraced her independence and spell-casting powers to have fun at any opportunity.  Sally is far more conservative.  Not wanting her two daughters to be “cursed” by history, she’s forgone her abilities and raised her kids in a manner as if magic doesn’t exist.

You can’t outrun the past though.  When’s Sally’s oldest child, Kylie (King), falls in love for the first time, it triggers a long-held spell that threatens her happiness.  Guided by a book on ravens, Kylie absconds to London in search of a way to break the curse.  She’ll soon be followed by Gillian and Sally trying to stop her from creating further woes.  I’ll say the broader narrative is the film’s weakest component, and I wasn’t fully on-top of all the magic hoo-ha – for example, how Sally can get her powers back thanks to an English rando but not from her own family.

As touched on above, it’s Kidman and Bullock who make this work.  I loved their banter as they constantly bicker and talk over one another.  They have great personalities too.  You can appreciate both points of view and understand why they perceive the other as so frustrating and annoying.  It’s also nice to see returning cameos from Diane Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway) and Stockard Channing (Six Degrees of Separation) who add heart.

Bravo to the three-person writing team and Academy Award winning Danish director Susanne Bier (In a Better World) for their deft blend of comedy and drama.  The material is heavy given we’re talking about love, parenting and death, but the filmmakers balance it with a plethora of humorous one-liners.  Befitting her character, Nicole Kidman gets the best jokes whether it be referring to her one-night stands, her penchant for alcohol, her continual suitcase-carrying, or her thoughts on room heights in British hotels.

Practical Magic 2 surpasses its predecessor in almost every way.