Stream It Or Skip It: ‘A Christmas Story Christmas’ on HBO Max, A “Legacyquel” That Brings the Holiday Cheer

2022 is apparently all about dusting off old characters for the holidays. After Disney+ gave us a new take on the Sanderson sisters with Hocus Pocus 2, HBO Max brings back Ralphie in A Christmas Story Christmas. The unlucky kid is now much older … although whether he’s any wiser is anyone’s guess.

A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Everyone’s favorite woebegone holiday humbug Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) now has two kids of his own when A Christmas Story Christmas finds him in 1973. He’s taking a year off the corporate grind to achieve his dream of writing the next great American novel but his wife’s deadline to get published by the year’s end looms. The unexpected death of his dad means Ralphie now has to be his home’s Father Christmas, ensuring his kids and the entire family have all the fixings for a great holiday. In the absence of a strong head of the house, Ralphie has to face his foibles and fears – many of which have changed little since the last time we saw him in the house on Cleveland Street – to ensure a great Christmas.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, obviously, the original 1983 A Christmas Story … though not as heavy-handedly as you might expect. Sure, there’s a brief reappearance of the pink bunny suit, but it’s also quite literally being dredged out of mothballs. The plot of the film more closely resembles another fabled holiday favorite, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, as Ralphie’s quest to prove himself a worthily providing patriarch for Christmas recalls the travails of Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold.

Performance Worth Watching: All credit to Peter Billingsley for not just re-playing the hits as Ralphie. His performance doesn’t just reheat what fans have loved about the character for decades, instead offering a thoughtful take on where the character would be at this stage in his life. It’s got just enough recognizable hallmarks of the bashful young boy we remember yet is not so tethered to him that we just see a man-child.

Memorable Dialogue: “Sometimes, if we’re lucky, the yuletide stars shine full upon us in a rare moment of truth,” a reflective adult Ralphie begins the film narrating, “and how we react in these moments can forever seal our fate.” It’s a good indication that the film will operate in a more rueful mode as opposed to going for more laugh lines like the unforgettable “you’ll shoot your eye out!” from the original film.

Sex and Skin: The only “ho ho ho”-ing here is from good old Saint Nick himself.

Our Take: A Christmas Story Christmas avoids the worst trappings of sequels that revive long-dormant characters and stories. This is not just fan service replaying the moments we already know and love. The film actually finds a way to authentically transpose similar moments of humor and heart into a more mature, introspective adult version of the protagonist. Credit to director Clay Kaytis, too, for not giving into the frantic line-o-rama style of modern comedy and actually matching the unhurried pace of the original.

Our Call: STREAM IT! While it’s unlikely TBS will program a 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story Christmas, this film is still a warm holiday treat. This legacy-quel is trying for something a little different, and it works as its own thing as a nice enough Christmas tale. (For those who just want the original, it’s still there to rewatch for the hundredth time!)

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.