‘Practical Magic 2' Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Rip Bullock And Kidman Sequel

Practical Magic 2's Rotten Tomatoes reviews are in and things are not looking good for Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman's sequel to the 1998 film. The original Practical Magic movie introduced the Owens sisters, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman), descendants of generations of witches who are saddled with a family curse that dooms any man they fall in love with. The film also stars Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who play the sisters' aunts, Franny and Jet. Based on Practical Magic author Alice Hoffman's 2021 novel The Book of Magic, Practical Magic 2 is set 25 years after the events of the 1998 film. In the new film, the Owens family curse seems to have caught up to one of Sally's two daughters, Kylie (Joey King), leading the sisters to travel from Massachusetts to the U.K. in a bid to end the curse once and for all. Directed by Susanne Bier (The Perfect Couple, Bird Box), Practical Magic 2 features the return of Channing and Wiest, and also stars Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod. The film plays in preview screenings on Thursday before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The review embargo for Practical Magic 2 lifted at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. In early reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics, the film has earned a 36% 'rotten' score based on 22 reviews. RT's Critics Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending. Note: The review score will be update as more reviews are posted on RT. What Are Individual Critics Saying About 'Practical Magic 2'? Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence is among RT's critics who give Practical Magic 2 a 'rotten' score, although she does praise Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman's performances, writing, 'Even when cursed with a substandard script, Bullock and Kidman still cast quite the spell.' Forbes Daily: Join over 1 million Forbes Daily subscribers and get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day's news in your inbox every weekday. You're all set! Enjoy the Daily! Clarice Loughrey of The Independent also gave Practical Magic 2 a 'rotten' score, writing in her RT review summary, 'Kidman and Bullock are superstars. The film yearns to be viewed as stylishly earnest. But no one's seemingly sat down to properly think through what story deserves to be told about these characters nearly three decades down the line.' Sophia Ciminello of Awards Watch isn't a fan of the film, either, writing in her 'rotten' RT review summary, 'The trouble with Practical Magic 2 is that the screenplay feels a bit unfocused, with stretches of the movie feeling overlong when it can't rely on the presence of its movie stars.' Brian Truitt of USA Today praises director Susanne Bier in his 'fresh' review of Practical Magic 2 on RT, writing, 'Bier, like Griffin Dunne previously, isn't afraid to get a little dark and weird with the magic. Toss in a smattering of talented actresses and you've got a witches' brew that's fairly satisfying.' Practical Magic 2 plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.