Return To Hogwarts

I would have sat for 5 hours watching this.

Big shock. I loved it. I'm so glad I watched it, I'm so glad they got everyone they could, and it is without question necessary viewing for all potterheads. It starts simply enough with some cute prelude to the documentary footage, as four chapters break down the 8 films with cast and crew discussing filming, the impact on the world, and most importantly the memories that were had. Now I know there's people out there howling their dislike based on "it's just nostalgia" but there is obviously some form of love and respect to this series to even begin with. They shoot on the real sets, the intercutting of movie footage, behind the scenes, and documentary footage is pretty good, and it's just fun and cute to see everyone back together. Obviously I can't recount every story and anecdote, but it does bring up stuff you wouldn't normally know and addresses facts of the production you may have forgot about. I spaced so hard on the fact that Emma Watson was going to leave the series halfway through, she was thinking about calling it a day and such a powder keg of a news story you think wouldn't have been forgotten. It's little nuggets like that which I loved so much cause you do hear it straight from the actor's mouth, they do reflect on it being 20 years since this franchise started and how it has affected them. There is an undying sense of love and family among the entire crew and cast, with the highlights of them being apparently Emma had a huge crush on Tom Felton and where has that been my entire life? That should have been in the movies, I'll make my own with Draco being a bad boy who can't voice his emotions clearly but he loves Hermoine, you'll love it. It'll be wild. Helena is off her f***ing rocker, I love her, I may or may not want the Daniel crush to be real, it's a thing of immense beauty and chaotic energy and I want you to acknowledge it. Jason Isaacs is still my love, my everything, he is (redacted), and forever will be in my heart. Of course it isn't all fun and unconditional love, they do reflect on these wonderful actors who are no longer with us. Richard Harris, John Hurt, Helen McCrory, Alan of course. And can I just say, hearing Jason and Tom talk about the most damn beautiful and perfect witch in the entire world, and seeing Tom break a little....that took my heart outside and pulverized it with a tenderizer. Like that was hard to watch. I mean we as fans were all devastated when Alan passed away, so how on earth did it feel for the people who worked closely with him for a decade? It would have been impossible to really craft a documentary around something this expansive with so much to talk about, it would have to be it's own series with a single episode dedicated to those we lost. And it was pretty tough seeing the behind the scenes stuff on the last day of shooting, I mean Jesus man Daniel had a full breakdown and I wasn't that far off from breaking myself. Personally speaking, as a 6 year old boy introduced to a land of magic and great characters, though I wasn't super hardcore into it did love it a lot and certainly as years have passed my appreciation has expanded greatly. It's gotten so many kids into reading, it's swept several generations in it's wake, and has forged a fandom the likes only to be rivaled by Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. I mean that's pretty remarkable to say the sheer least. And they did it. The crazy bastards actually did it. They ended it with the line. You fu- how could you do this to me man? Whatever, 4 stars, 9/10.