Another mystical chick flick in Practical Magic: The Book of Magic

WHEN the trailer of Practical Magic: The Book of Magic was released many months ago, their small ‘cult’ of followers were beaming with excitement as this meant that The Owens sisters are back for more mystical surprises. However, not everyone is familiar with the Owens sisters.

For the uninitiated, the first Practical Magic movie was screened to the world in 1998 and created quite a niche following, especially among the ladies.

The film which is definitely deemed a chick flick, sees the participation of Oscar heavyweights Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock who play the roles of Gillian and Sally, unordinary sisters born into a family of witches.

And the allure of the film (which is originally based on a novel written by Alice Hoffman) is not the witchcraft powers that they wield, but the forlorn curse they had to endure for generations.

According to the story, the ladies of the Owens bloodline were doomed to always lose the loves of their lives, as every man they fall deeply in love with will not live a very long life and die soon after.

Bear in mind that if you have never seen the first movie, you will still be able to understand the story as everything is well-narrated from the very beginning of the film.

In this sequel to the first movie, Sally’s two daughters Antonia and Kylie are all grown up and her younger daughter Kylie falls deeply in love with her college boyfriend Gideon. However, the two sisters have no idea of their wizardly powers as their mother Sally once cast a spell when they were younger, making them forget about their magical capabilities.

True to the curse’s prophecy, Gideon gets into an accident but for some reason does not die immediately. He falls into a coma causing the heartbroken Kylie fall into utter despair.

Kylie’s aunt Gillian (affectionately known as Gilly) then tells Kylie about their true origins and the family curse. This angers Kylie as she blames her mother Sally for never telling her the truth about their ancestry.

Beneath all the chaos, the elder aunts in their family home, Aunt Jet and Frances discover a way to break the curse after Aunt Jet gets a mystical lead to a special book called the Book Of Raven.

Unfortunately, Aunt Jet dies on her birthday celebration leaving a note to her sister Frances explaining about the book which she left on her table.

Kylie who is desperate to save Gideon, learns of the book in her Aunt Frances’ room and takes the book and starts getting visions on where to go and how to break the curse. She then runs off to London and attempts to find a way to break the curse, but unknowingly invites an evil presence in the process.

Upon finding out, Sally and Gilly then trails Kylie with hopes of saving her and her boyfriend Gideon.

Unlike the first movie, this one adds a little more excitement as the Owens sisters embark on a special adventure to undo the curse. And along the way, allows Sally to meet another heartthrob in the form of an English college professor who specialises in the study of magic and witchcraft.

This side story however does not take the spotlight away from Kylie’s pursuit of love and saving her comatose boyfriend.

The film has all the necessary ingredients for a chick-flick, from magical spells to handsome male actors and an inviting soundtrack.

However this writer feels there is a little discord in the continuity. Although the specific timeline isn’t mentioned, those who watched the first movie are aware that the first Practical Magic was released almost 30 years ago.

And in that prequel, Kylie and Antonia were already present as children, however in this sequel they are portrayed as college goers which doesn’t seem to quite fit the time line. (realistically they should be in their 30s now)

Nevertheless, viewers will still be able to follow the story despite not having watched the prequel as mentioned earlier, as that was probably the producers’ intention, to show that the movie can still be appreciated without any knowledge of the prior installment.

So if you are a sucker for magical spells, handsome warlocks and have a few hours to spare, you might just enjoy this movie. It is light and uncomplicated entertainment with a stellar Hollywood cast.

Practical Magic: The Book of Magic is currently showing in all Malaysian cinemas.