Oh man, I really wanted to love this more than I did. Set in December 1973 (33 years after the first story), it reunites Peter Billingsley along with the original cast of kids in a sequel reboot that celebrates the nostalgia of the holiday as an adult. It opens with the announcement that the Old Man has died, which casts a dark cloud over the rest of the movie, while a 42-year-old Ralphie must now take over the role as family man on Christmas. While sweet in many respects, it's a far cry from the brilliance of Bob Clark's original film. As a lifelong fan, this had a lot to live up to and that proved to be a foolhardy task. As nice as it is to see familiar faces 40 years later, it's equally as disappointing to see how age has ravaged a timeless classic. It's just depressing. Getting old is sad. Lightning doesn't strike twice, even when they attempt to recreate certain scenes shot-for-shot. Also, it would have felt slightly more special if Melinda Dillon had come out of retirement to play the mom again (she passed the following year). But time will tell if people continue to watch this sequel 40 years later, or if they'll just default back to the original.
2½ sled jumps out of 5
