Hocus Pocus 2 Review: 4 Ups & 6 Downs

By Jack Pooley / September 30, 2022

3. John Debney's Nostalgic Musical Score

Though most aspects of the production are a pretty mixed bag, a major bright spot in this sequel is returning composer John Debney, who provides a stellar musical score absolutely worthy of the original.

Debney's gorgeous orchestral arrangements have a distinct '90s sound to them which evokes nostalgia for the original yet doesn't merely rehash the same leitmotifs ad nauseum.

This is a vibrant, fun score which adds flavour and pizazz to even those scenes that don't quite work, and while the filmmakers may have been tempted to switch Debney out for a more contemporary musician, they were smart to return to the source.

In a wildly messy film, Debney's exemplary work is basically beyond reproach.