Perhaps I'm already jaded with respect to this material, but this follow-up to last year's "The Good Witch" didn't seem quite as good as its predecessor.
With essentially the same cast as before, except for the loss of some minor characters tied to the original plot, and the addition of two notable characters, one transient and one hopefully permanent (if further sequels are planned), this second in the series finds "good witch" Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) now living in the house of her ancestor, "The Gray Lady," dating the sheriff (Chris Potter), and growing her garden, both to supply her herb shop and to host the town's 200th anniversary garden party.
Both films play on the "stranger in town" theme. In the first, it was Cassie; in this sequel it's a man (Rob Stewart) claiming to be a distant relative of Cassie's, and making friends with everybody in town while surreptitiously intending to do her wrong.
Meanwhile, Cassie continues to see the best in people, and helps them with their problems using "everyday magic," usually by giving them some object or spice which somehow helps them to find a solution or to come to some personal awareness.
On the negative side, the whole proceeding here seems a bit more casual than in the first film. The plot is again trite but comfortable, but the script seems less taut, and the two leads...I don't want to say that they walk through their parts, but their play seems loose compared to the first installment.
As noted earlier, Cassie and sheriff Jake are now dating, and this being a family film, there are a dozen or so chaste kisses between them, like ones you'd give your grandma. Several of these kisses come at the beginning, giving the film a seemingly slow start.
Some particularly bright spots in the script are close to a half dozen word plays which can be appreciated by lovers of language. If you watch this film, I encourage you to listen for them.
Best of all, Grandpa finds love (or at least companionship)! A subplot involving the hopefully permanent addition to the cast that I mentioned earlier, and one of the bits of everyday magic that Cassie performs, this time in the form of matchmaking, is to hook George (Peter MacNeill) up with the local nursery lady (Elizabeth Lennie).
Although more than one plot point arose from the very intriguing title, perhaps the most disappointing part for me was that more was not made of it, more of the garden's magical properties, if you will. As I think back, however, it was probably just the right amount of magic for vegetation.
Despite any shortcomings real or perceived, this movie nevertheless manages to display some fireworks for those who stick with it!
With essentially the same cast as before, except for the loss of some minor characters tied to the original plot, and the addition of two notable characters, one transient and one hopefully permanent (if further sequels are planned), this second in the series finds "good witch" Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) now living in the house of her ancestor, "The Gray Lady," dating the sheriff (Chris Potter), and growing her garden, both to supply her herb shop and to host the town's 200th anniversary garden party.
Both films play on the "stranger in town" theme. In the first, it was Cassie; in this sequel it's a man (Rob Stewart) claiming to be a distant relative of Cassie's, and making friends with everybody in town while surreptitiously intending to do her wrong.
Meanwhile, Cassie continues to see the best in people, and helps them with their problems using "everyday magic," usually by giving them some object or spice which somehow helps them to find a solution or to come to some personal awareness.
On the negative side, the whole proceeding here seems a bit more casual than in the first film. The plot is again trite but comfortable, but the script seems less taut, and the two leads...I don't want to say that they walk through their parts, but their play seems loose compared to the first installment.
As noted earlier, Cassie and sheriff Jake are now dating, and this being a family film, there are a dozen or so chaste kisses between them, like ones you'd give your grandma. Several of these kisses come at the beginning, giving the film a seemingly slow start.
Some particularly bright spots in the script are close to a half dozen word plays which can be appreciated by lovers of language. If you watch this film, I encourage you to listen for them.
Best of all, Grandpa finds love (or at least companionship)! A subplot involving the hopefully permanent addition to the cast that I mentioned earlier, and one of the bits of everyday magic that Cassie performs, this time in the form of matchmaking, is to hook George (Peter MacNeill) up with the local nursery lady (Elizabeth Lennie).
Although more than one plot point arose from the very intriguing title, perhaps the most disappointing part for me was that more was not made of it, more of the garden's magical properties, if you will. As I think back, however, it was probably just the right amount of magic for vegetation.
Despite any shortcomings real or perceived, this movie nevertheless manages to display some fireworks for those who stick with it!