Hocus Pocus

Though they are three witches they were not the Witches of Eastwick. "Hocus Pocus" is about as clean as you can get for a movie about witches sucking the souls out of children. I mean, at least it wasn't bloody, profane, or lewd. There wasn't even a kiss between the two lovebirds.

In 1693 three witches--Mary (Kathy Najmy), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Winifred (Bette Midler)-- were killed (don't worry, they don't show it). Before they met their demise at the hand of an angry mob, Winnie cast a spell which would bring them back to life should "a virgin light the blacklight candle on the full moon of Halloween." I know, very specific. Not many chances for that to occur.

Well, 300 years later that very thing happened when new kid on the block, Max (Omri Katz), lit the candle. He was thoroughly opposed by his little sister, Dani (Thora Birch), and cute classmate Allison (Vinessa Shaw). But if he never lit the candle, we'd have no movie.

They spent the rest of the movie trying to evade the female versions of Larry, Curly, and Moe. It's a kids' movie, no doubt. It was cute and fairly harmless. Even the witches themselves looked and behaved innocuously. I'll put it this way: the witch from "Wizard of Oz" was far scarier.