
'Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts' takes a magic-filled trip down memory lane
CNN
"Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts" looks back at the cinematic franchise with warmth and humor, while delicately capturing the impact on kids raised on a movie set over a formative decade.
Perhaps foremost, this 100-odd-minute documentary -- shrewdly divided into four chapters, each encompassing two movies -- makes terrific use of clips and outtakes to illustrate its anecdotes and remembrances. When Emma Watson and Rupert Grint discuss the uncomfortable buildup to Hermione and Ron's first kiss, it's presented not just with the actual scene but footage of them fidgeting and laughing while trying to shoot it, as well as director David Yates discussing his efforts to guide them.
Tears flow before it's over, but the unavoidable sentimentality of it all feels mostly earned, especially when acknowledging those featured in the films who have died, among them Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and most recently Helen McCrory.