What’s spooky season without a spooky legacy sequel?

Three decades after putting “vampire cowboy” Jimmy Angelov to rest, Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) still hasn’t learned her lesson regarding the gift she and her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) inherited. Sally’s daughters Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams) learn too late a truth hidden from them when Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña) is involved in an accident and slips into a coma. A mysterious mystical book discovered by Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest) provides a clue about how the young man might yet be saved, sending Kylie desperately to England against dark forces she’s never been taught to protect herself against. Sally and Gillian are sent by Aunt Franny (Stockard Channing) to trust local witch Ian Wright (Lee Pace) to help find Kylie, but the timing of the situation is no coincidence.

The aunts are back. The sisters are back. The daughters are all grown up — that black cat must be fifty years old by now — and of course the amazing Franken-house is back. Based on the novel “The Book of Magic” by Alice Hoffman (a direct follow-up to the first of her four Practical Magic books), Bird Box director Susanne Bier takes on the sequel from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett, and Kelly Marcel. While the film version of the original book deviated from the darker elements and spent more time at the Owens family home, trailers for the continuation go international with promises to resolve the curse of Maria Owens, but can this legacy sequel weave the box office spell the original film could not?

The good news: viewers who’ve discovered and/or became fans of the original film will be pleased with this newest chapter, from attention to old details to resolving character arcs. It feels like a comfortable nook surrounded by everything familiar, enabling the rest of the world fall away for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, it also hinges on rehashing spent plot points to build out from rather than chance something wholly new, meaning a significant chunk of the film is used up getting their mojo back (like waiting through the first half of Ghostbusters 2). The better news: moving past that serves the story well, giving viewers more magic to enjoy and a significant denouement — tissues optional but nevertheless recommended.

Recasting the daughters is a bit of a sore spot, but King and Williams fill their shoes well enough. King’s Kylie feels natural in the part, whether interacting with Bulloch and Kidman or being sisterly with Williams’ Antonia. With more screentime for the daughters, less is afforded to Sally and Gillian and far less for the aunts, a curious reversal since the original film beefed up the aunts over their novel counterparts (as well as spending more movie time at the Owens home). Lee Pace adds his usual gentleman rogue bluster to the proceedings as well as an obvious love interest, but the possibility of his allegiance adds an air of mystery. Thanks to modern VFX, the actual witchcraft involved has more flare to it but keeps it reserved for all but the climax, looking more dangerous than the housecleaning of Angelov while still avoiding any Earth-shattering consequences of a story like The Last Witch Hunter.

If you were never a fan of the first film, this won’t change you mind; ask anyone who watched Hocus Pocus 2. Folks who enjoying witchy films full of spooky family fun — and especially these particular characters — goes a long way toward one’s appreciation of this film, which is to say it’s for who it’s for and makes no apology for it. Happily, I count myself among them and have continued thinking about it, the best sign that I personally enjoyed it.

Practical Magic 2 is rated PG-13 for some violent content, suggestive material, brief strong language, and spells cast on family members biting you in the backside.

Three skull recommendation out of four