we tried watching "office christmas party" and got through maybe 20 minutes before shutting it off. i remember wanting to see it when it came out in 2016. glad i spared myself.
so, it was onto something else that we hadn't seen and i recorded "8-Bit Christmas" off TBS and we watched it last night. besides some irritating anachronisms (which is strange, given this is based off a memoir written by someone who literally grew up in the 80's), this was a sweet movie. there were definitely some relatable things in it--especially the retainer thing. my sister had one, and it was always getting lost or broken and wound up costing my parents enough money (were these things never covered by insurance?) that they started keeping tabs on her to make sure she couldn't lose or break it. my sister was easily able to get a cabbage patch kid by 1988 though. i think it was her birthday gift that year while mine was my own nintendo.
steve zahn is the best part of the movie. he is great in everything he does and no difference here. the heartfelt twist for the ending was a very sweet touch (and was probably the reason for the memoir getting published in the first place).
and, the antics and plan revolving around getting the NES that the kids concoct is fun.
it's been off-putting that so many kid actors act like 30-year-old improv actors, but the main kid (jake) and his friends were good. i think the best kid actor in the whole thing was the weird kid who winds up helping jake overcome his fear of the big bully.
overall it's a good family christmas movie. like brick said it has some "christmas story" feel to it; and, "the princess bride".
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