Overview: Ralphie is all grown up in this sequel to the annual holiday favorite in which he must deal with Christmas and all that comes with it, this time as a dad. Peter Billingsley returns to the role that has made kids of all ages anticipate Christmas morning like no other.

DVD Verdict: The only traditional holiday film I actually like has always been A Christmas Story. I first saw it during its original theatrical run in late 1983. I loved it then, and now, because of the quirky offbeat humor and wit, and an excellent cast of kids and adults that brought such personality.

I’m surprised it became such a universally loved movie over the years because it is so offbeat. When I saw that a legit sequel (not the forgettable, loosely linked follow ups that should be entirely ignored) was happening, I couldn’t help but be curious. Since I’m big on nostalgia, seeing the bulk of the cast reunite in their original characters would have been enough for me to at least give it a viewing.

Having now been sent a DVD for review (thank you, Warner Bros.), well, I can reveal that I was pleasantly surprised. No, it’s not the caliber of the original film, but I actually laughed several times, which was no easy feat to accomplish on this sometimes hard-of-heart fella!

The nostalgia is there by the ton, not just the cast and the story, but it takes place in 1973 so it’s awash with all of those lovely period greens and browns. My expectation was it would probably be just another syrupy rainbow-soaked movie, but thankfully they kept the quirky angle intact.

The standout was mom’s horrified reaction to Christmas carolers. Oh, that’s so me! As much as I absolutely loved Melinda Dillon’s portrayal of the mom in the original, I already knew she was not participating, as she retired from acting 15 years ago. In her place, we get Julie Hagerty, best known as the lovable ditzy star of the Airplane movies. Of course, there are a lot of references back to the original film, but I didn’t find it overdone.

It’s not a total win, some of the scenarios fall flat and the kid actors are all pretty forgettable, but I view them as secondary to the original cast anyway. They do take a more realistic approach that the kids mostly grew up to be under to moderate achievers, Ralphie included.

Brother Randy seems to be the biggest success, a traveling businessman, but eventually makes it back in time for Christmas casserole. The one plot that I really didn’t care for is the about-face of bully Scut Farkus, but it’s always great to see Zack Ward, as he’s such a character.

And while the main plot of the movie is that Ralphie took a year off from the work world to try to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer, and then gets a call from mom about the passing of The Old Man, we do get a somewhat predictable chipper ending.

In the end, I can see this one becoming part of an annual double feature, though maybe not an every year type of thing like the original. It’s no masterpiece, but also no sophomore slump. It has many charms but don’t expect it to be a 100% winning counterpart. It kinda felt like a reunion of old friends I’ve known for decades, and that’s good enough for me.

Official Trailer