“8-Bit Christmas” Review
Jake Doyle comprehends what to do to get a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas in “8-Bit Christmas,” an HBOMax original film.
For most of my childhood, there was always the one gift, usually LEGOs, that drove me mad with longing every Christmas. It’s a feeling that nearly every kid can relate to and every adult can look back on which is why it appears in several Christmas films like “Jingle All The Way,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “A Christmas Story” (which is really messed up when you think about Ralphie fantasizing about getting a gun and shooting people with it).
HBOMax’s “8-Bit Christmas” is a similar kind of film but manages to differentiate itself with some hilarious takes on childhood and the hype before Christmas as well as a heartwarming message that makes this a soon-to-be Christmas classic.
As Christmas approaches in Batavia, Illinois, Jake Doyle (Neil Patrick Harris) recounts to his daughter (Sophia Reid-Gantzert) how, in the late 1980s, he and his friends wanted a Nintendo Entertainment System more than they wanted another Bears Super Bowl win. With their parents afraid of the effects of video games, a young Jake (Winslow Fegley) and his friends scheme to attain their coveted prize.
One thing I’ve noticed over my years of watching Christmas films is how some films, like those from Hallmark, are noticeably manipulating you. They don’t have unique characters or identifiable scenarios but just try to elicit emotion with the same light piano music or cheesy lines. “8-Bit Christmas” doesn’t do that. This is a film that made me laugh and, when I wasn’t even realizing it, moved me.
(From Right) A grown-up Jake (Neil Patrick Harris) tells the story of his quest for a Nintendo to his daughter (Sophia Reid-Gantzert).
This is a familiar premise but I loved how it embraced the kind of selfish but endearing feeling that all kids have around Christmastime. The film’s child actors were absolutely wonderful and crazy enough to constantly make me laugh. From pathological liars to nervous germaphobes to a kid allowed to watch rated-R movies, this band of troublemakers had my attention from the beginning and were fantastic.
But the real star of the film, in my mind, is Steve Zahn who plays Jake’s father: a house repair obsessed, Chicago Blackhawks loving man who thinks that video games will turn your mind to mush. While there is a bit of a crazy factor to him, he’s also very likable and his father/son conversations with Jake are some of the best parts of the film.
The film has a surprising maturity, especially when discussing that Christmas means far more than getting a video game system. But it’s not done with a long monologue, it’s just simple, effective language.
However, despite having an edge to it that’s going to definitely entertain adult viewers, this is very much a family film. Normally, I hate that family films have a PG rating when they obviously should be G-rated but “8-Bit Christmas” takes some storytelling risks that I think earn this rating.
Overall, “8-Bit Christmas” is an exciting film with a standard, yet charming plot. But what really makes this film work is the loving care of the filmmakers, the fun cast and an ending that actually made me a bit teary-eyed. It’s worth a watch, especially with the Christmas season now approaching and an unceasing nostalgia for the 1980s dominating our culture.
