While Wickensburg is worthy of a look, its immediate sequel is not.  Continuing a story a couple of years later, adding twists and defying expectations while trying to remain consistent is not as easy as one might think.  While this movie moves in a different direction than its predecessor, that direction isn’t rewarding in my view.

Richard Boddington’s story reveals that the villain from the first film has escaped from prison and returns to Wickensburg to complete his plan to destroy it.  Naturally, the teens who beat him the first time, Elliott (Jensen Gering) and Willow (Catherine White), try to do it again, but this time Elliott’s mother (Denise Richards) proves to be his primary foe.

Magic is more important to the story this time around, and that is to the story’s detriment.  Logic is tossed aside and the special effects are unconvincing.  The story changes its focus from the kids to the villain’s perspective, which is far less interesting.  The big twist occurs then, which helps to explain some of the story’s previous inconsistency, but it really didn’t work for me.  A shame, really, but there is a third movie in production now, so perhaps the concept can work once again.  ☆ 1/2.  24 January 2026.