I haven’t watched any other sequels of the original movie, so I have no basis for comparison there. I have read that this one is significantly better than other sequels.

I thought it was okay. Of course it leaned heavily on the original movie, as you’d expect, with plenty of references to events from that story and even short video clips. (Don’t miss the sign in the bar that is a tribute to Jean Shepherd’s book that this franchise is based on.) Leaning on the original is fine, and quite apt as the story doubles as a tribute to the late Old Man. The writing is competent, though lacking the sparkle and delight of the Jean Shepherd original. But it wasn’t as predictable either as I feared it would be with subplots such as the missing presents and Ralph’s fledgling writing career. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at what they did with those subplots, avoiding cliched pitfalls in favor of more sensible resolutions.

So I found it was worth my time watching it, though it won’t make the short list of holiday films I watch every year, such as with the original Christmas Story. Actually, I wonder if it might have gained a bit more magic if it had more closely followed Ralph’s kids rather than the adults as it did. That would have been a tough script to write though, with people relentlessly comparing it to the original. I write novels in my spare time: perhaps I will attempt a bit of fan fiction writing and try it, just for kicks. Hmm.

Over the many years the original movie has had a special place in my heart. During the years where I didn't have a great holiday season it kept me company (thanks, Ted Turner). During the better years it was a staple of the celebration. Hearing Shephard's unmistakable voice signaled the start of the holiday season. I was heartened by the reports that Billingsley had turned down many attempts to make this film and ultimately agreed to this script.

In a nutshell, it was disappointing. The setup to the story isn't bad at all - Peter is an aspiring writer and an event at the beginning of the movie brings him home with his wife and kids. The major problem with the movie is that at every turn it absolutely beats you over the head with nostalgia. Scene after scene existed for no other reason than to mirror the same event that happened in the first one. Do we really need to see the next generation of bullies causing trouble in a vacant lot? The movie worked best when they ditched the nostalgia and started to make their own story (which they did at the end of the movie). But then the next problem happened: they lifted a lot from 8-Bit Christmas. And unfortunately that movie was better than this one. That is not to say that there wasn't room for nostalgia. During the closing credits they showed some of the easter eggs that were in the movie - couldn't that have been enough nostalgia?

I did get a bit emotional as the movie ended. I never expected a sequel and it was good to have the experience. While Julie Hagerty was fine as Ralphie's mother, it would have been so nice to see Melinda Dillon one more time. It's too bad that she had retired from acting because I think that would have made the movie that much better. And they did a nice job referencing Jean Shepherd at the end. The original movie might have been a small part of his book, but it was still his story.

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