At this time of year, the holidays bring so much joy; decorating the interior/exterior of your home, seeing the beautiful decorations around town and in the neighborhoods, listening to or singing Christmas songs, enjoying holiday-inspired beverages at Starbucks…you know, the memorable stuff. One of my personal favorite perks of this time of year is watching Christmas movies.

There are only a handful I make sure to watch every year: Home Alone, Die Hard, and A Christmas Story, with the latter being my favorite of them all. (I’ve now added Hawkeye as a fun yearly rewatch thanks to its Christmas theme.) And only recently, I’ve learned that A Christmas Story literally has a sequel on HBO Max right now and to my great surprise, it wasn’t bad.

Filled with a bunch of familiar faces and nostalgic story beats I didn’t once feel upset by the sequel’s story. In fact, it was a solid time jump into the future with Ralphie still remaining as the driving force of the film’s narrative, only now he’s a father with responsibilities.

It’s a nice twist that feels organic. This feels like the same Ralphie who wanted a rifle for Christmas, only now he aspires to be a writer. It’s not a far-fetched fantasy considering his constant excessive imagination.

And while A Christmas Story Christmas is not nearly as funny as its predecessor it smartly chooses to take the emotional route to make up for its lack of genuine unforgettable humor. And because I easily get emotional while watching I’m not ashamed to admit I might have shed a tear or two,

I’m giving this movie 90 out of 100 and 4 out of 5 stars.

All in all, A Christmas Story Christmas is not nearly being talked about enough because it was solid. And to be able to be a convincing sequel to one of the greatest movie classics of all time is not just a feat, it’s a Christmas miracle.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.