Truth be told, I had very little expectations for this new holiday film. I had previously read the book and found it "just okay", while the trailers made it out to be little more than goofy kids stuff. But in a surprising turn of events, "8-Bit Christmas" ends up a movie that might just stand the test of time for viewers of a certain age.

For a very basic overview, "8-Bit Christmas" tells the story of young Jake Doyle (Winslow Fegley.), the prototypical "80s kid" who wants just one thing for Christmas '88: a Nintendo Entertainment System. Much like Ralphie chasing his beloved Red Ryder, Jake concocts scheme after scheme (often featuring his grade school pals) to make sure a NES is underneath the tree on Christmas morning.

On one hand, "8-Bit" is very much nostalgia-bait for 80s (or even early 90s) kids. It is absolutely chock full of period-specific references, decor, clothing, language, etc. Fortunately, it never comes off as too hokey or pandering. Director Michael Dowse does a remarkable job of capturing the essence of that time period. It often made me feel as if I was re-living my own childhood!

Yet, I also strongly believe that one can enjoy this movie even without having been birthed from 1980-1990 or so. The entire plot is basically a frame narrative told by Old Jake (Neil Patrick Harris, riffing on his How I Met Your Mother notoriety), and it features some great performances by Young Jake's parents (Steve Zahn & June Diane Raphael). Despite some of the sillier or goofier material that is indeed present throughout, this movie has a poignant family-based message about the holiday season.

Until the final 10-15 or so minutes, I had this one pegged as perhaps 8/9 stars. But the final scenes? As touching and meaningful as anything I've ever seen in a holiday flick. All of the subtle character-building delivers a payoff that might just have you wiping your eyes (but smiling at the same time).

Just by the way pop culture worked back in the era depicted, there is about a ten-year age window (my own, of course) of viewers that will connect to the material here the most. For them, this is one to show the kiddos "what it was like back then". For everyone else? Even if you don't fully appreciate the disappointment of the Power Glove or have never sold items door-to-door to win a school prize, the overall message of "8-Bit Christmas" can still shine through.