8-Bit Christmas

David Cross teaches us the real meaning of Christmas.

How is a film with the punchline "stop playing games, go outside, form human bonds and memories" a Nintendo commercial? Well, if it is, it's a bloody sly one. 8-Bit turns out to be a film on childhood, exploring how the "every day" is an epic through 10-year-old eyes. It's relatable to anyone who grew up in the 80s-90s, and broad in its appeal. Nice laughs, a bit of heart, doesn't take itself too seriously. Also - not art cinema. Solid.

The Power Glove game is clearly not a NES game and a shallow imitation of 80s nostalgia, huh. It does kinda perfectly capture the joy of watching a school friend lose their entire mind at losing a video game and do something that will get them grounded so fast.

This is petty af, but I became grumpy the moment the one scene with the Power Glove showed the two kids playing some dumb made-up fighting game that didn’t even look graphically like an NES game

I was just about the exact same age as the 80s kid, and owned an NES myself, so I am the target market. Started off GREAT, then was merely good for a long while, and finishing strong. It's like "A Christmas Story" with a dash of "The Princess Bride" storytelling bit.

I think the scriptwriter forgot about the assignment, woke up on the day of the deadline and threw his notes together in one big pile handing them of to the producer, who in turn also had forgotten he'd promised the studio a heartwarming family Christmas movie, and scrambled to get the movie shot and chopped before it was due...

A fun nostalgic family movie with decent acting and editing. The middle suffers from filler, but they manage to stick the landing. Fav scenes: my soul hurt when the NES got crushed; the boots arc.

Definitely fun, good fun for the family.

Bland uninspired 90 minutes long Nintendo commercial.

I quite enjoyed 8-Bit Christmas. NPH successfully pulls off the narration part of the film, which is peppered in to nicely build tension within the main story as well as reinforce the shallow Xmas moral. I got Jingle all the Way vibes from this film as it doesn't shy away from the fact that presents are a kids most pressing thought around Xmas. The children actors were all good; with both the plot and their performances keeping me engaged throughout. A fun film that pays homage to 80's tropes.

Nothing special here, but this is a solid family Christmas film, especially for old millennials with children in the 8-12 range.

Richkidgodwithgames+tvfallsondog+coolmissiontogetit-ranover+stilldopeasstreefort+niceendwithdeaddad

Wow, this really surprised me. Maybe it's just that a whole lot of this hit extremely close to home (the family dynamics more than anything), but I thought this was a really fun Christmas movie. Obviously it is trying to be a Christmas Story for a new generation, and I think it does a damn fine job at hitting that mark. I guess I'll have to wait and see if it stands the test of time, but I expect this will go into our holiday rotation from here on.

I'm not looking for a ton of depth in these kind of movies, but the over-arching lesson feels a little tacked on in the end. Not enough heart for a Christmas movie.

I'd maybe call this A Christmas Story (with a bit of Princess Bride) for the next generation. It's not as good as either, but it works overall. The biggest fault is making the bully character (why does there always need to be a bully?!?) so much older than the other kids. Good, family friendly film and a nice change of pace from the endless romance Christmas movies.

I'm not sure if this aspired to be "The Wonder Years" (a show I adore) but it doesn't come close.

This is an entertaining family film. The cast does a good job here, especially the child actors. The script is predictable in most parts but it is still amusing in parts. Overall I would recommend this movie.

Entertainment: 2. Spirit: 1. Sustainability: 0.5. Family: 1

Silly, heartwarming, and genuinely funny.

okay movie

It is a very endearing Christmas movie that relayed the message through nostalgia. It works as the story progresses and the message becomes about how Christmas is important because of the memories you make. It is well made, Neil Patrick Harris is delightful. He makes everything just a tad bit more fun with his own magic. I got a few good laughs and some tender moments touched my heart.

A kids movie for us that grew up in the 80s and understand that Nintendo hype. I think it worked on the 11-year-old, but what made it funny flew right over her head. Not sure what demo they were aiming for, unless it was aimed at parents that grew-up at that time to watch together with their kids.

Bah humbug. Had it on as background noise while the cooking was happening for the big feast tonight, but it was just too awkward and cringy. Bad acting all over and just didn't come together. Had a few decent moments. A healthy xmas overscore of 5.2.

I think I enjoyed this more than most. It's A Christmas Story for a new generation.

Mostly a formulaic Christmas movie but a strong one. Has a decent heart, good humor, funny performances. Occasionally mean-spirited and you could shave off a few minutes here and there but overall a good way to get jolly.