Now, with Practical Magic 2 doing little more than retracing its predecessor’s steps, but stripped of a good chunk of that film’s visual charm, the legacy sequel reminds us that a solid story can rarely be built atop a flimsy foundation.

Fans of the original will no doubt be thrilled to revisit the Owens sisters’ world. But this overlong, muddled, sporadically amusing picture may test the patience of even the most dedicated Practical Magic loyalist.

It just feels like a box ticking exercise.

Practical Magic 2 makes the criminal offense of stripping the franchise of its gothic charms by, simply, trying to do too dang much.