I suspect the fondness many people have for Hocus Pocus is largely due to revisiting it through the lens of nostalgia. As someone who grew up in the 90s, I hadn’t actually seen it before and wasn't familiar with it at all, so I didn't bring any preconceived notions to the film. If you’ve ever watched a poorly made Disney Channel movie, Hocus Pocus feels like one of those, but with some suggestive language and innuendo mixed in. The acting is genuinely poor across the board, which is surprising considering the witches—who I initially assumed were supposed to be the heroes, but are clearly not—are portrayed by actresses (Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy) who might be considered lesser-known performers, along with Sarah Jessica Parker, who aren't exactly celebrated for their acting prowess, yet they’re all working professionals. The special effects are subpar, even taking into account that this is a movie from 1993, and the practical effects don’t even make an attempt at being convincing. All of this could possibly be overlooked if it were a fun, silly family film, but Hocus Pocus fails to achieve even that. The story itself feels weak, riddled with plot holes and just plain unrealistic moments. According to the movie, these witches have been “dead” for 300 years, yet they can be resurrected if a virgin lights the black flame candle. In 1990, a high school student repeatedly announces he’s a virgin to his classmates. It's hard to believe that a teenager would publicly declare their virginity so often, especially at a public high school in Massachusetts during the 90s—it isn’t some religious community or private Catholic institution. Upon returning from their long absence, the witches are clueless about modern life and mistake paved roads for rivers, and don't recognize buses; they seem to have no understanding of anything that has advanced since the 1600s. Then, one of them flies up alongside a car on her broom and asks for the driver’s license and registration. They don't understand asphalt, but are familiar with jokes about motorists? The movie is full of inconsistencies and demonstrates a general lack of understanding of how teenagers and children think and behave. Even the three witches themselves have inconsistent personalities. Bette Midler is presented as the intelligent older sister, but she acts in the most illogical ways and whines like a child. Sarah Jessica Parker plays a ditzy blonde, and Kathy Najimy portrays a woman with mental challenges who speaks oddly, yet they are often the ones who come up with plans and offer explanations. Najimy is particularly jarring, constantly acting as if she’s the mastermind of everything despite being incredibly foolish. This was actually released in theaters. Even as a cheap Disney Channel original movie, it would still be bad, but at least somewhat excusable. As a theatrical release, Hocus Pocus is embarrassing. Unless you grew up with this film, I can't imagine finding much to enjoy about it. It’s fairly harmless entertainment for children, and has some mild language if that's your only requirement, but ultimately it isn't a good movie. It wasn't enjoyable or interesting, and it probably should have stayed in 1993.

Source on TMDB