CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEW: A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
Does The Sequel Of A Classic Actually Deliver?
A silver lining with the snow storm that pounded Buffalo is it allocating me more time to dive into Christmas movies—not like I wasn’t going to anyway but still. Sure, it’s not Thanksgiving yet but who are you to tell me when Christmas season starts? Anyway, I’m up to six new Christmas film releases for 2022 and the latest was “A Christmas Story Christmas”, sequel of the 1983 classic A Christmas Story centered around an adult Ralphie Parker some 30 years(ish) after the original and a surprising amount of returning characters. Here’s my non-professional review and grade for this film.
PROS: This sequel is more affectionate and emotionally layered than the original with a profound plot. Don’t get me wrong, being focused almost entirely on Ralphie getting his official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle in the early 1940’s was fantastic. This time around however, the movie hubs around Ralphie’s middling writing career and dealing with the Parker’s first Christmas immediately following the passing of Ralphie’s father (The Old Man). Let’s not forget first and foremost this is a Christmas movie and they do a magnificent job reminding us that Ralphie’s father loved Christmas too much for the family spending the holiday exclusively moping around---Mrs. Parker wasn’t having that melancholy shit. Also, they do a good job of again focusing on Ralphie’s struggles, this time his failure to get published and his numerous setbacks for Christmas, including having the gifts he and his wife (played beautifully by Erinn Hayes) purchased for the kids at Higbees. I loved the constant homage and references to the original movie and especially enjoyed so many of the original characters returning as adults played by the same actors, including Flick, Schwartz and Scut. Lastly, I relished the ending and ain’t gonna lie---I got a bit watery eyed.
CONS: Perhaps unfair, but the biggest accomplishment this sequel achieved was making me want to watch the original. Peter Bellingsly (Ralpie) doing narration pales in comparison to the legendary voice of Jean Shepard in the original. Also, this movie is set in 1973 but the actors are portrayed a bit too modern, especially Ralphie’s two kids. Lastly Julie Hagerty replaces a retired Melinda Dillon as Ralphie’s mom. Hagerty’s fantastic but I couldn’t get past her not resembling Ralphie’s childhoood mom. It’s hard to replace an actress who had a prominent role in the original.
VERDICT: There’s nothing particularly special about A Christmas Story Christmas but I’ll tell you what---if the original with the fam is part of your holiday tradition, this is worth making time for. Consider it a solid double dipping of Christmas nostalgia. Don’t let critics tell you this movie isn’t good—it is. GRADE: B