8-BIT CHRISTMAS is directed by Michael Dowse, based on Kevin Jakubowski’s book. The movie stars Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael, David Cross, and Steve Zahn. It was released on the HBO MAX streaming service.
Jake Doyle, a child of the 1980s, takes his daughter to visit his parents’ house. When she’s initially bored, Jake shows her his Nintendo Entertainment System, and begins flashing back to the 1980s, where as a young man, it was the Christmas present he wanted more than anything. Faced with school bullies, parents protesting video game violence, and hectic demand in which the NES is the must-have gift of the season, how will Jake get the gift he dreams of?
It seems like in recent years, every movie studio and streaming service rushes out new Christmas/Holiday movies in hopes that one will become a much-treasured classic for years to come. 8-BIT CHRISTMAS is one from HBO MAX, and upon hearing the title, seeing the pixelated NES-style title fonts, and learning it would be about one young man’s quest to get an NES for Christmas, I was certainly curious. The end result isn’t quite the Holiday Season masterpiece it wants to be; it’s far too derivative and borrows liberally from the classics. But its quest for nostalgia and old-school gaming, not to mention some decent emotional moments and comedy, still give it a place above a lot of the other generic Christmas movies shoveled out to the public every year.
8-BIT CHRISTMAS is surprisingly well cast. Although Neil Patrick Harris gets top billing and is surprisingly effective in his scenes, most of the movie takes place in 80s flashbacks in which his character (as a boy) is played by Winslow Fegley. I wasn’t familiar with Fegley prior to seeing this movie, but he certainly won me over with his slightly over-the-top quest to get an NES for Christmas. As a big-time video game fan when I was a boy, I certainly saw a lot of myself in this character.
The other members of the cast are all well suited to their roles, with a standout player being the always-entertaining Steve Zahn as Jake’s father in the flashback sequences. The house’s handyman, he gives the movie what are arguably its funniest and most dramatic scenes alike. Zahn, despite his popularity, is actually underrated in terms of what he can do as an actor, and one of the biggest surprises of 8-BIT CHRISTMAS is how much it lets him show off his range.
The movie scores points for period details, including shopping malls, roller rinks, toy dealers in back allies, and the hectic atmosphere of a pre-online shopping world. The Nintendo displays in the stores show in the movie come to life (both figuratively and literally) and make for some entertaining moments and great flashbacks. I also appreciate Harris being painted as something of an “unreliable narrator” figure who sometimes has to correct himself when telling the story to his daughter, if for no other reason than to get a good example at times.
8-BIT CHRISTMAS doesn’t quite reach “Holiday Classic” status, largely because it’s far too derivative of better films. Many sequences involving Jake’s family in the 80s scenes are heavily inspired by A CHRISTMAS STORY, with a late-movie laugh even parodying one of that film’s big reveals. You’ll get that feeling of “I’ve seen this before” in a few places throughout the movie, for better or worse. At times, it goes for over-the-top sequences that do tend to undermine the message of the movie, though these certainly don’t ruin the experience. Surprisingly, the film works best in its more dramatic sequences, including some great father and son moments, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any laughs to be had.
If you’re asking me if 8-BIT CHRISTMAS will become one of the next big films we watch every Christmas, the answer is no. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy its combination of nostalgia, humor, and drama, even if it’s too derivative of other movies and doesn’t do the audience any favors with some of the more over-the-top sequences. That said, if you’re looking for Christmas-themed nostalgia to bring back memories and get a few laughs, the movie mostly delivers what it promises. Recommended.
By Taylor T Carlson
Taylor T Carlson Assistant Editor/Senior Staff Writer Taylor T. Carlson was born August 17, 1984, and has called the Vegas Valley home his entire life. A die-hard fan of classic rock and metal music, Taylor has been writing album and concert reviews since he was 16 years old, and continues to do so, having done well over 1,000 reviews. He is also a fan of video gaming and cinema, and has reviewed a number of games and films as well, old and new alike. His thorough and honest (some would say brutally honest) reviewing style has won him the respect of hundreds of music fans and musicians alike, both local and abroad, and the ire of just as many others. Despite being one of the youngest attendees at classic hard rock/metal shows around Vegas, he is also one of the most knowledgeable, having gained the unofficial nickname of “The Eddie Trunk of Las Vegas.” In addition to reviews, Taylor has written and self-published three books on classic hard rock bands, and is a regular participant in rock and roll trivia contests. Taylor also holds a masters degree in special education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), and has appeared on the hit History Channel television series Pawn Stars. His dream is to be able to one day make a living from writing music books and reviews.