8-Bit Christmas
It is always nice to get a nice surprise with a movie and 8-Bit Christmas on HBO Max was definitely that.
It stars Neil Patrick Harris as a father who is telling his daughter how he came to own a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as a kid. As the narrative goes, it certainly reminds me of “How I Met Your Mother” as the story keeps going with seemingly no end in sight as to how he got an NES. The voice over narrative throughout also references that show. I really enjoyed HIMYM, so this was another thing about this film that I enjoyed.
I have to say that I really enjoyed it from start to almost finish. There are more than enough funny lines. One in particular is when kids are trying to bribe a rich kid so they can be only one of ten allowed to play his NES, there is a school coach there that offers him “untraceable cash money”.
If you remember the 80s there is a plethora of references and jokes about the era that ring true e.g. a pair of boots are girly just because they are purple.
The acting is good and it cracks along at a really good pace. It has a bit of a Christmas Story vibe to it. Again, this is a movie I am a big fan of, so it works for me.
The ending is a little bit of a damp squib – it felt a little like they didn’t know how to end it but it didn’t ruin what had preceeded it. With so many Christmas films out with distinctly variable quality, this one is going to be nearer the top than the bottom.
You can find the trailer here.
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