8-Bit Christmas

8-Bit Christmas

In suburban Chicago during the late 1980s, ten-year-old Jake Doyle embarks on a herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas.

  • Released: 2021-11-24
  • Runtime: 98 minutes
  • Genre: Comedy, Family
  • Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael, David Cross, Steve Zahn, Jacob Laval, Santino Barnard, Jackson Reid, Chandler Dean, Johnathan'tae Sturgess, Cyrus Arnold, Sophia Reid-Gantzert, Bellaluna Resnick
  • Director: Michael Dowse
 Comments
  • Classic_Boxing_Matches - 5 May 2023
    The year was 1987 or was it 88? - Jake
    To teach his daughter a lesson about Christmas, Jake tells the story of how he and his friends in the late 80's tried to get their hands a Nintendo Entertainment System.

    I had low expectations coming into this, expecting it to be very much a Christmas movie low on substance and overly relying on Nintendo product placement - much like The Wizard which was legit from the 80s! - but it turns out this was considerably better than I expected. The story is told in a similar way to Princess Bride but it also feels a bit Goonies and Home Alone. It's not an entirely unique story as it's been done before but what this film does do well is that it feels genuine in its emotion and doesn't try too hard to be funny. Not everything is laugh out loud, but it's certainly smile inducing and I could relate to a lot of the characters as I had similar friends at school myself! Although set at Christmas and I guess the story is about Jake wanting a Nintendo for Christmas, it's not solely a Christmas movie and it can be enjoyed at any time of year if you ask me. I loved the Nintendo references and jokes although I would of liked to have seen a bit more gaming footage and references as there wasn't really that many for a movie focused on a kid trying to get their hands on a Nintendo! But at the heart of the film, it's about Nintendo. It's about family and what truly matters in life, appreciating what you do have while you have it and not pining over what you don't.

    Final Verdict: It's heartwarming and fun, but not overly sickening like some Christmas films can be. Part Princess Bride, part Goonies and part Home Alone but still it's own distinct thing - I can see this film being a Christmas classic for many years.
  • SnoopyStyle - 8 November 2022
    the new Christmas story
    Jake Doyle (Neil Patrick Harris) is hounded by his daughter for a phone Christmas present. He recounts how he got his childhood Nintendo. It's an 80's Christmas. As a child, Jake (Winslow Fegley) is desperate to get a Nintendo from his parents (Steve Zahn, June Diane Raphael). The only Nintendo in the neighborhood belongs to the rich kid and all the kids have to line up for a chance to play.

    This is trying to be the next A Christmas Story. It has some good nostalgia, some childhood trauma, and general Christmas goodness. It's quite good. The movie may be better off without the wrap-around story. They could still do the narration like A Christmas Story. Neil Patrick Harris may be distracting away from the 80's. I want to spend more time with the group of kids and swim in the nostalgia of it all. NPH can do a bit of denouement to show off the tree house in present day. All in all, this is good family fun with plenty of heart.