Nostalgia is a powerful force in the entertainment world, which is why we’e gotten so many long-awaited sequels in recent years. Case in point: Hocus Pocus 2, which arrived in 2022 for those with a Disney+ subscription. Fans waited decades to see the trio of Sanderson Sisters back on their screens, and they managed to slip right back into character. I recently watched Hocus Pocus 2 for the first time since its premiere, and I was seriously distracted by the look of the movie. Specifically, it’s muted colors.
Critics had a mixed reaction to Hocus Pocus 2 when it was released, and there were some big shoes to fill considering how much of a cult classic the 1993 original is. I enjoyed the sequel both times I’ve seen it, but I’ve got to say that the lack of vibrancy in the film’s colors really distracted me the second time around. Seriously, it looked like a Zack Snyder movie at times.
Hocus Pocus 2’s Color Looks So Dull Compared To The Original
The original Hocus Pocus is full of bright, vibrant colors. Simply glancing at the Sanderson Sisters’ looks shows this, as well as the color of their magic and even the Halloween costume worn by Thora Birch’s Dani. If you do a double feature and watch the sequel right after, the discrepancy between the color grading is even more obvious. Seriously, why does Anne Fletcher’s follow-up movie look so muted?
Some scenes in here are worse in regards to its coloring, particularly the sequence where the witches go to Walgreens. The overhead lighting doesn’t do them any favors, and the cast looks particularly washed out. This was never a problem in the 1993 original.
The sequel put the villains into a number of funny modern scenarios, while also harkening back to the original. It’s a delightful sequel, but I just wish that it looked as vibrant as its predecessor. Hopefully that can be fixed if Hocus Pocus 3 is ever produced.
Why Does It Look So Dark?
Over the past few years there’s been growing criticism about movies and TV shows being too dark to watch. Fans complained when Game of Thrones‘ Season 8 Episode, “The Long Night,” was almost impossible to watch. So is Hocus Pocus 2‘s color issue more of a symptom of the entire entertainment industry?
A while back, digital imaging technician Nicholas Kay spoke to Variety about ongoing complaints with darkness in contemporary film projects. He encouraged folks to double check their TV settings, and also hammered down the importance of having high quality sets, as well as proper lighting that’ll mimic movie theaters. He addressed how darkness might also be a creative choice, saying:
I think that a lot of cinematographers, when they do certain things like that, they’re trying to make it feel extremely truthful. I don’t think the intention is to struggle to see, but there are times where I personally feel like I’m struggling, like, ‘Is it taking me out of it?’ My job really is to calibrate my eye to what the cinematographer wants it to look like.
While Hocus Pocus 2 isn’t alone in this issue, I found the discrepancy of color between the two movies to be super distracting. Moviegoers want big bold colors, Hollywood! At least, I do.
Both Hocus Pocus movies are streaming now on Disney+. We’ll have to wait and see if/when a third movie comes together. For their part, the trio of leading actors seem down to return as the Sanderson Sisters.