Since 1993, Hocus Pocus has been a fan favorite movie to watch during the Halloween season. It’s purely nostalgic. Fans can’t get enough of watching the Sanderson sisters (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) creating chaos in Salem, Massachusetts for the first time in 300 years.
The film features a cast of hilarious characters and witty dialogue. Max Dennison (Omri Katz) is the movie’s main protagonist, but he’s not always a likable character. He’s a typical moody teenager, who wants nothing to do with his younger sister, Dani (Thora Birch), on Halloween. Max has his moments where fans loved him, but for the most part, he does things that bothered fans more than not.
Updated on September 27th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Max Dennison may have been one of Hocus Pocus’ protagonists, but that didn’t make him the most likable of characters. If it wasn’t for him, the Sanderson sisters never would have come back to Salem after being dead for 300 years. At the same, Max was just a teenager; a teenager who made a mistake and had to rectify his mistakes with the help of his love interest, Allison, and sister, Dani. With Max having annoying and endearing moments, audiences who saw themselves in Max related to his role on Hocus Pocus and appreciated the highs and lows of his character.
Times When It's Hard Not To Hate Max
When Max Is A Grumpy Teen
While Max has his excuses to be grumpy, he’s obnoxious with his attitude. He’s grumpy about moving to Salem. He’s cranky about going trick-or-treating with Dani, he doesn’t want to spend time with his younger sister, and he has a short temper with his entire family for engaging in basic conversation.
Max is a typical grumpy teenager who needed an attitude check from his parents but never got one. Going trick-or-treating with his sister isn’t the worse thing in the world, but he rolls his eyes and acts moody about spending time with his sister on a holiday. In the end, it was safer for Max to accompany his sister than let her roam Salem alone. It's because of his typical teenage attitude that Max was one of the least liked Hocus Pocus characters.
When His Budding Sexuality Showed
For a seemingly family-friendly Halloween film, Hocus Pocus features many sexual innuendos that have aged poorly over the years. Adults notice these details while rewatching the movie. For example, Max is a typical teenage boy who fantasizes about his crush, Allison. He imagines lying down in his bed with her.
In addition, Max refers to Allison’s breasts as “yabbos.” He’s embarrassed when Dani informs Allison about this later (in typical younger sister fashion), but fans of the movie were embarrassed for him when this moment was shown.
When He Lights The Black Flame Candle
The beginning of Hocus Pocus is a backstory about the Sanderson sisters, set in 1693. In order to live and retain their youth, they must suck the life out of an innocent child. Unfortunately, this happens to Emily Binx. Her older brother, Thackery Binx, tries to stop the witches, but they cast a spell on him, turning him into a talking black cat.
The Sanderson sisters are caught and ordered to be hanged. Before being hanged, the strongest Sanderson sister, Winifred, casts a spell that they will be resurrected during the event of a full moon on Halloween if a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle. Of course, Max lights the candle 300 years later. He believes the folk tale is just a bunch of “hocus pocus” and that nothing bad will happen. He quickly realizes his mistake. While the movie needs this to happen for the plot, none of the events would have happened if Max wasn’t trying to joke around and impress his crush.
When He Was Taunting The Sanderson Sisters
Max tries his best to avoid the Sanderson sisters after accidentally bringing them back to life. If they capture Dani, they will absorb her youth, ultimately killing her. Max hatches plans, but they don’t always work out.
Audiences can’t blame Max for trying. He convinces the Sanderson sisters that it’s raining, which could kill them. He also tricks them into thinking the sun is rising. These plans backfire, but some viewers were annoyed with Max’s behavior towards the witches. He taunts them and says rude comments about them. And even though the Sandersons have badass quotes in retaliation, Max's taunting didn't help matters.
Being Mean To Dani Is Unacceptable
It's an ongoing theme that Siblings fight all the time. It’s normal to see in movies, and Dani and Max are one of the better brother and sister duos on TV because of the bond they create. They both fight and annoy each other.
However, Max is mean to Dani numerous times in the movie, especially at the start. He’s annoyed that the family moved to Salem, and Dani is on the receiving end of his frustrations. He doesn’t want to be her chaperone while going trick-or-treating, and he lets her know exactly how he feels. He says, “Collect your candy and get out of my life!” while Dani looked in disgust.
Times When It's Hard Not To Feel Bad For Max
It Was Hard Watching Him Be Bullied
At the start of Hocus Pocus, Max is the new kid in Salem. He doesn’t have any friends, which explains why he’s grumpy and lonely. While riding his bicycle on the way home from school, he encounters two bullies: Ernie “Ice” and Jay.
The bullies taunt Max for absolutely no reason, which left viewers feeling horrible for him. They ask him for cigarettes and money, which he doesn’t have. So, they steal his new Nike cross-trainer shoes in retaliation. Viewers feel bad for Max during this scene because no teenager should be bullied for standing up for themselves.
When He Didn't Want To Move To Salem In The First Place
The Dennison family moved to Salem, Massachusetts from sunny Los Angeles, California. Max is understandably upset about this decision because he misses his friends back home and is angry with his parents for moving away.
Anyone who has ever been forced to move away can relate to Max’s feelings. It’s disappointing to say goodbye to friends, especially when moving to a new town where he didn't know anyone. While fans didn't love his attitude, they understood where it came from.
When Allison Rejects Him In Front Of The Class
When audiences first meet Max, he’s in class and having a debate with Allison about the history of Halloween. Max immediately develops romantic feelings for her and decides to do something about it. Allison is one of Hocus Pocus' best characters, but their interaction in this scene is hard to watch.
During the debate, Max hands Allison= a note with his phone number written on it. The most awkward part about this scenario is that Max did this in front of the whole class. Unfortunately, the plan backfires because Allison returns the note later on. Although Allison had every right to deny Max, it's hard watching it happen in front of an audience.
When He Is Constantly Being Reminded That He’s A Virgin
Fans found out early on that Max is a virgin. That’s primarily the catalyst that starts the plot of the movie. He lights the Black Flame Candle that awakens the Sanderson sisters after 300 years of being deceased.
Unfortunately, Max is frequently reminded that he’s a virgin. When he thinks he is talking to a police officer, the officer questions him about his virginity and makes fun of him. Max ironically says he’ll get it tattooed across his forehead since everyone in town seemed to know about his sexual status. With so many people making fun of his personal life, fans felt bad for Max who had to defend himself for no reason. It's a part of Hocus Pocus that didn't age well.
When He Sacrifices Himself For Dani
Towards the end of the movie, the Sanderson sisters are determined to capture Dani and kill her to obtain her youth. Max doesn’t want this to happen to his sister, so he sacrifices himself to save her by drinking the potion.
Luckily, the sun rises before Winifred is finished sucking the soul out of Max, and the witches vanish. Max is saved and the Sandersons were turned into cement by the sun. Max turned into the hero at the end of the story, which redeems his negative character traits earlier on. Viewers feel bad for him that he even had to make this decision, but it proved he's a better guy than fans realized because he'd rather die than live without his sister.