Peter Billingsley reprises his role as Ralph "Ralphie" Parker, the blue-eyed daydreamer who, as a young boy in the Midwest during the 1940s, longed to possess a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Using Bob Clark's original 1983 holiday classic, "A Christmas Story", this film's producers have crafted a wonderfully updated and almost carbon-copied tale that at first glance felt a little light in creative writing until I realized just how important it was to structure the narrative so similarly to its original. It's a touching homage to what is now a yearly viewed ritual for millions of Christmas movie fanatics and a tribute to the original film's famed father figure, the Old Man, portrayed by the late Darrin McGavin.
It is now 33 years later and Ralph now has a family of his own consisting of his wife Sandy (Erinn Hayes), his son Mark (River Drosche), and daughter Julie (Julianna Layne), and Christmas is just around the corner when he receives notice of a family emergency from his mother (Julie Hagerty). A car ride later has the Parkers back in Ralphie's old haunts including his original childhood household. Yes, the neighborhood looks very much like it did so many years ago which adds to the warmth you get from your memories of the first movie. It also helps greatly when you get to also see quite a few of Ralph's neighborhood acquaintances that we've met and seen so many times before including Flick (Scott Schwartz), Schwartz (R. D. Robb) and even the green-eyed Scut Farkus (Zack Ward), all portrayed by their original actors. There are also enough flashbacks, soundbites, a few daydreams, and even a triple-dog-dare moment that add to the movie's charm with enough seventies updating to give you another chance to laugh once again at some scenes that closely mimic its predecessor.
Ralphie's snow-covered backyard makes an appearance as well as Higbee's Department Store fully decked out for the holidays along with a faithful recreation of Santa's meet-&-greet cotton-covered mountain. Yes, the slide is included. As the film went on it grew more sentimental by the minute and its conclusion I felt was just as delightful and emotional as the first movie. There have been other sequels produced in the past but this storyline ignores them all.
Will it become a yearly must-watch companion piece to compliment its popular original yuletide favorite? I don't see why it wouldn't but then again, only time will tell. Merry Christmas, everyone.
It is now 33 years later and Ralph now has a family of his own consisting of his wife Sandy (Erinn Hayes), his son Mark (River Drosche), and daughter Julie (Julianna Layne), and Christmas is just around the corner when he receives notice of a family emergency from his mother (Julie Hagerty). A car ride later has the Parkers back in Ralphie's old haunts including his original childhood household. Yes, the neighborhood looks very much like it did so many years ago which adds to the warmth you get from your memories of the first movie. It also helps greatly when you get to also see quite a few of Ralph's neighborhood acquaintances that we've met and seen so many times before including Flick (Scott Schwartz), Schwartz (R. D. Robb) and even the green-eyed Scut Farkus (Zack Ward), all portrayed by their original actors. There are also enough flashbacks, soundbites, a few daydreams, and even a triple-dog-dare moment that add to the movie's charm with enough seventies updating to give you another chance to laugh once again at some scenes that closely mimic its predecessor.
Ralphie's snow-covered backyard makes an appearance as well as Higbee's Department Store fully decked out for the holidays along with a faithful recreation of Santa's meet-&-greet cotton-covered mountain. Yes, the slide is included. As the film went on it grew more sentimental by the minute and its conclusion I felt was just as delightful and emotional as the first movie. There have been other sequels produced in the past but this storyline ignores them all.
Will it become a yearly must-watch companion piece to compliment its popular original yuletide favorite? I don't see why it wouldn't but then again, only time will tell. Merry Christmas, everyone.