Review: Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)
I'm not crying, you're crying!
★★★½
What a ride this has been. 20 years and fans still love this series, whether it's the books or films, J.K. Rowling's books still connect and resonate with us today. As a fan of the books and movies myself, I was overwhelmed with this. It was like seeing an old friend after so many years and revisiting a more simpler time in my life. The first film came out in late 2001, taking the world by storm, and continued to prove that books can be adapted to the big screen, if done correctly.
This documentary gave us a wonderful insight on the magic world of Harry Potter, allowing us to see the gang all fully grown up, reconnecting with one another, and sharing wonderful memories they will forever charish as long as they live. Other than Dan, Emma, and Rupert, Gary Oldman, Helena Botham Carter, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Robbie Coltrane, James and Oliver Phelps, Evanna Lynch, and other cast members were present. Seeing the cast coming back together, greeting and hugging each other, really shows how much these guys weren't just co-stars, but a family. Similar to the cast of The Godfather. Al Pacino said in his autobiography that the cast of The Godfather are like his family.
We're also given insight on behind-the-scenes secrets, like how each cast were audtioned, how scenes were filmed, how each director treated the cast, and other things. One of my favorite moments is when Daniel Radcliffe and Chris Columbus reuinted and talked about the films. Dan mentioned how hard it felt after Chris left. He was like a father to them, which if you look at all bonus-features on the DVD of the first film, you can really see how much of a fatherly figure Chris was. I'm one of those fans who believed Chris should've remained the director of the rest of the films. He was the only one who was a big fan of the series and made sure to adapt everything as much as he good. Producer David Heyman once said that Chris would always have the book on him when filming. That's the kind of director you need to perfectly adapt a book to the big screen.
Later on, Dan reunites with Gary and Helena. Dan has said multiple times that his favorite scenes to film were with Gary Oldman. I can see why, those two have great chemisty. They talked about all times they've spent together, even Alan Rickman, who was the only one who knew how the books ended. When Dan and Helena reuinted, Dan shared something to Helena that made her laugh out loud. Dan actually had a teenage crush on Helena while filming and even wrote a letter to her. Helena loved it and kept the letter, and wanted him to read to on the documentary.
The final thing, the tribute to the actors who've passed on. There has been cast members who've passed since the series has ended, and even after. I've said this many times, but the cast of the Harry Potter films was the biggest reason why the films worked. It was sweet and emotional to see the cast share memories of the late actor and how much they were friends. Robbie Coltrane remarked about the series will continue to live on for many generations to come. “The legacy of the movies is that my children's generation will show them to their children so you could be watching it in 50 years easily. I'll not be here sadly… but Hagrid will… yes.” That was an emotional remark, but became saddening when Robbie passed away nine months after this documentary was released.
This documentary was a wonderful tap into a simpler time and proves to us that Harry Potter will live on forever. It was good to see the old gang back again. Even after 20 years, the films still hold up and are beloved by many fans. And for book readers, exactly the same thing.