Nearly 30 years between films. I figured that gap would be a problem. It isn’t.
I remember the original being fine, maybe slightly less than fine, and I don’t remember much of it at all. Rewatching something that old that I wasn’t crazy about felt like homework. So I walked in cold, and the sequel handled it.
That’s the first thing worth praising. The writers feed you context on the move, so you’re never stuck working out who’s related to who or what the rules are. No clumsy recap scene. No five-minute voiceover. It trusts you and keeps going. Newcomers are completely fine here, which is harder than it sounds and something most legacy sequels don’t even attempt.
The pacing is genuinely good. It never sags, and it never rushes the emotional beats. The chemistry between Sally and Ian is the quiet highlight: understated, a little strange, exactly right for a movie about magic that mostly lives in ordinary kitchens and living rooms. It doesn’t announce itself. It just works.
There’s cheese. A few moments land soft, a few lines are too tidy. I didn’t mind. When the direction is steady and the casting is right, small silliness slides off instead of sticking.
It’s not essential. It isn’t trying to be. It’s a well-made film that knows its lane and stays there, which is more than a lot of long-gap sequels manage.
If the trailer caught your eye even a little, go. If it didn’t, you’re not missing anything that’ll change your year.
