Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

It is a charming if at times saccharine reunion and, the bottom line, good television. But it would have benefited hugely from proper input from the woman who made it all possible.

Return to Hogwarts” manages to unearth enough genuine sincerity, and occasionally even jolts of pathos, to keep from becoming quite as sticky sweet as one of Harry’s treacle tarts. ... That it ends up charming as much as it does is a testament to its actors, game and charismatic as ever, once again finding a way to engross their audience in more intangible ways than merely following the script.

Overall, "Return to Hogwarts" is perhaps more magic-filled than consistently magical. But when the special gets it right, streaming's latest trip down memory lane not only provides inspiration to go re-watch these movies, but it does cast a certain kind of spell unlike most Hollywood-orchestrated reunions by conjuring a touching sense of the shared experience that these boys and girls lived.

In the end, this special film felt magical – and just the right side of sentimental, giving us a sense of a story that was era-defining for fans and life-defining for its cast. Thrillingly, it managed to transport me to my childhood and to that same sense of joy and jealousy I had at 10, wishing I could be Hermione myself.

Millions of young fans dreamt of being part of Harry Potter’s world; Return to Hogwarts is possibly the closest you’ll ever feel to achieving it.

It is definitely possible to make a more insightful and comprehensive document of Harry Potter as a pop culture phenomenon and its lasting impact. But as a subjective portrait of what it meant to become an adult while making a series of films for children, Return to Hogwarts proves pretty memorable.

It is a slick and calculated production, designed to give Potterheads exactly what they want, how they want it. But it contains enough untold stories and honesty from the participants and unfakeable camaraderie to give it more genuine heart than probably anyone expected.

All this exquisite set design and logistical wrangling turns out to be in service of only fitfully compelling material.

What’s ultimately missing is any genuine insight into Harry and what it was about him that transfixed so many readers. And, to be honest, only JK Rowling could have offered that kind of insight.