When it comes to Susanne Bier’s Practical Magic 2, the overly mechanical mystery may feel more suited to the Disney Channel, but it can’t entirely eclipse the cozy, gothic-infused fun to be had along the way. Yep, the film is a total ’90s throwback in its overall vibe — and for audiences of a certain age, that’s a welcome, nostalgia-soaked trip down memory lane. It’s also genuinely delightful to see Sandra Bullock back on the big screen. And, alongside Nicole Kidman, the Owens sisters are still as endearing, charismatic and entertaining as ever. The chemistry is there. The charm is there. The problem is the movie they’re stuck in. So much of this feels like fluff (not to mention fan service) designed to remind us of everything we loved about the original. It doesn’t help that the first act feels like an extended advertisement for Cool Whip (you’ll see) before settling into a mystery that is predictable, cliché-riddled, and often downright silly (even when it definitely shouldn’t be). The plotting is overly convoluted without being particularly compelling, and the film keeps piling on explanations when a little more restraint would have gone a long way. But, if I’m being honest, it also serves as comfort food. Yeah, the pumpkin-spice vibes got me at times. The cozy house setting, the witchy London atmosphere (oh yeah, they travel across the pond) all started to work their magic, and eventually I just surrendered to the silliness. Now, did this have any right to be nearly two and a half hours? Not a chance. In fact, the film feels like it has no less than four endings. They just kept coming back with more. Every time I thought, “Okay, we’re wrapping this up,” another emotional button or final-final-final resolution arrived to keep things going. By the time the actual credits rolled, I was ready to cast a spell of my own to make the runtime disappear. Alas, this trip down the witchy lane of Practical Magic was fine. Not needed. Not likely to be remembered. But, every once in a while, the pumpkin spice gets you. And for all its clichés, fluff and unnecessary detours, there’s enough cozy magic here to make the journey, well, fine.