Three Witches and a Kitty

Salem, Massachussetts, late 1600s. There's trouble a-brewing in the hut of the Sanderson sisters, a trio of ancient witches seeking to regain their youth by drinking in the essence of children (a process similar to that employed by the Skeksis in The Dark Crystal). Their victim du jour: young Emily Binks. After she is lured into the sisters' hut, her older brother Thackary discovers her missing and embarks on an attempt to save her. His plans are thwarted, however, when he is discovered, and not only is his sister killed, but he is turned into a cat and doomed to wander Salem forever. The witches are soon caught, but just before they are hanged for their crimes they invoke a curse which states that they will return to reclaim their power when a virgin lights the black flame candle...

Flash forward 300 years. A Californian teen recently relocated to Salem views the superstitions of the town with severe skepticism and hates the holiday of Halloween. Forced to take his little sister Dani Trick-or-Treating, things begin to look up for him when he happens upon the house of Allison, a girl in his class on whom he has a crush. Determined to impress her, he meets her challenge to check out the Sanderson sisters' hut. He goes too far, however, when he lights the candle, bringing the batty threesome to life.

Throughout the course of the movie, the children strive to undo their fatal error with the help of a 300-year-old Binks, looking very much like Sabrina's Salem. They find an unlikely ally in Billy, an undead jilted lover of Winifred (Bette Midler), the leader of the Sanderson sisters. They are hindered by a duo of punks reminiscent of the clodhoppers who graced each episode of the original Power Rangers series.

Eventually, of course, we come to a happy ending, though it is a bittersweet conclusion for one of the characters. Despite the serious nature of the danger the youngsters have placed themselves in, the movie is, for the most part, consistently comical. And while the Sanderson sisters are the villains, they are most definitely the most endearing characters of the bunch, and most of the hilarious moments come from them. Sarah and Mary (Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) are delightfully ditzy, much to the annoyance of Winifred, who is played to perfection by Bette Midler. Just watching her talk elicits laughter because of the ridiculous fake teeth that jut most un-elegantly out of her mouth. Her presence outshines that of the other characters, and the audience is drawn to her far more than the heroes.

With its implications of witchcraft, this movie may not sit well with some, but most will find it to be a light-hearted fantasy worth a bundle of laughs. A step up from Winnie-the-Pooh or Charlie Brown, this hauntingly hilarious movie is still unlikely to strike terror in the hearts of anyone over the age of five. Halloween fun for the whole family.