My Moviegoer Perspective on Christmas Movies That Never Needed Sequels or "Sequels" (But Got Them, Anyway)
If you receive any of these Christmas sequels or "sequels" in your stocking, take the elf's advice...
"We don't want it! We don't want it!" - Myron Larabee, Jingle All the Way
While Hollywood is notorious for mass-producing cash grab sequels, prequels, interquels, soft reboots, spin-offs, and streaming series that nobody asked for nor wanted (*cough!* Disney! *cough!*), Christmas movies have generally developed a strong immunity to sequelitis over the years. What I feel works in Christmas movies' favour is that they're feel-good affairs that nicely wrap up their storylines with pretty ribbons and colourful bows. After all, why retread the same paths in the snow with a slightly different pair of boots on? Sadly, a few Christmas movies have contracted sequelitis, with some cases worse than others.
What follows are my personal opinions on some of these sequels and "sequels" (there's a difference), approached in a lighthearted manner with my quirky sense of humour. In other words, if you love any or all of these sequels and "sequels", hey, more power to you! My thoughts on such sequels and "sequels" are in no way a critique on the tastes of my fellow moviegoers. While I feel most of these sequels and "sequels" are old enough now not to warrant "spoiler redaction", I have made such redactions when referencing a pair of Easter eggs found in a couple of the more recent examples. To read these potential spoilers, simply hover your cursor over the redacted text and highlight them. So, with all that out of the way, let's begin our inaugural Christmas special!
A Christmas Story, 1983
A Christmas movie that most children can certainly relate to, 1982's A Christmas Story is set in the year 193X, and chronicles the holiday hijinks of Ralphie Parker, an imaginative Midwestern boy obsessively wishing to receive the perfect Christmas present. In Ralphie's case, that dream gift is a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. Unfortunately, anytime he even broaches the subject, he gets shot down instantly on the grounds that, "you'll shoot your eye out!" In addition to Ralphie's quest for said Daisy Red Ryder BB gun, there are several humorous holiday vignettes, ranging from the outcome of sticking one's tongue to a pole in sub-zero temperatures to deciphering Little Orphan Annie's coded message over the radio.
Now, the sequels...
2012's A Christmas Story 2 jumps ahead to the year 194X, and involves a teenaged Ralphie now desperately attempting to scrounge up enough cash to buy a car, which he feels is needed to impress the dream girl at his high school. If you've ever wanted to see Ralphie get sucker punched in the belly by a thievish thug, whilst wearing a reindeer suit, this is your opportunity! 2022's A Christmas Story Christmas jumps even further ahead to the year 197X, and concerns a middle-aged Ralphie and his family adjusting to their first Christmas following the Old Man's passing, leaving Ralphie with the additional task of writing a fitting tribute to his late father. While the original 1983 flick was an adaptation of just one of Jean Shepherd's many semi-autobiographical stories featuring the Parker family, these two sequels aren't based on any of them. Unless you really want to see Reindeer Ralphie get punched in the belly or are curious about what a reformed Scut Farkus is like as a middle-aged policeman, you're not missing much.
Christmas Vacation, 1989
A Christmas movie that most families can certainly relate to, 1989's Christmas Vacation chronicles the holiday hustle and bustle of the Griswold family, whose plans to host a great Christmas together in their cozy suburban Chicago abode gets turned upside down when their entire dysfunctional extended family arrive on their doorstep. Thus, the Griswolds must scramble in hopes of getting everything ready by Christmas Eve while (hopefully) maintaining their sanity. I imagine they regret not spending their Vacation in California, Europe, or Las Vegas, huh? Oh, and for any Betty Boop fans out there, her longtime voice actress, Mae Questel, cameos as the elderly Aunt Bethany.
Now, the "sequel"...
Rather than a true sequel featuring the Griswold family, 2003's Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure is actually a spin-off starring their wacky Johnson cousins, who wind up getting shipwrecked on a desert island while spending the holidays in Hawaii. The only Griswold present is daughter Audrey, played once more by her original actress from 1983's Vacation, Dana Barron, a first for the Vacation series. Unless you've been desperately longing for a Cousin Eddie movie or have a high tolerance level for pervy "humour", you're probably better off skipping this Vacation, entirely.
Home Alone, 1990
A Christmas movie that most rebellious teenagers can certainly relate to, 1990's Home Alone chronicles young Kevin McCallister's desire to put as much distance between himself and the rest of his family as possible. Kevin's wish is granted when a Rube Goldberg machine of seemingly minor incidents culminates in his wealthy family accidentally leaving him behind in their suburban Chicago mansion while they all jet set off to Paris for the holidays. As a result, the little boy with big dreams (staying up past his bedtime, gorging himself on sundaes, and watching R-rated movies) gets to experience a taste of university life before even reaching middle school, relishing in his newfound freedom and independence. Unfortunately for him, a pair of career criminals, the Wet Bandits, have been eyeing the McCallister mansion and the vast fortune within. Upon catching wind of their nefarious plans, Kevin vows to defend his home from the intruders.
Now, the sequel...
While I love 1992's Lost in New York and subjectively prefer its urban New York City setting (that shot from atop the World Trade Center's observation deck is breathtaking!) over the original's suburban Chicago backdrop, I can objectively admit that a Home Alone sequel wasn't necessary. After all, you'd think the McCallisters would've learned their lesson about keeping a closer eye on Kevin, yet he manages to board a flight to New York City on his own! Even when suspending one's disbelief for Hollywood's sake, it's pretty hard to pretend that Kevin's parents wouldn't be charged with child negligence/endangerment after losing him twice while travelling over the holidays (they never lose their luggage, though).
Now, the "sequels"...
I've never understood nor cared for the trend of labelling movies that have nothing to do with the original characters or storylines as "sequels", which is what the remaining Home Alone movies are entirely comprised of. The only commonality they share with the first two flicks is that they all revolve around little boys beating the bejesus out of burglars over the holidays. Granted, 1997's Home Alone 3 includes a 12-year-old Scarlett Johansson as the protagonist's older sister, while 2012's The Holiday Heist features Malcolm McDowell of A Clockwork Orange fame as one of the villains, possibly making these entries worth a viewing for fans of their respective works.
However, 2002's Taking Back the House and 2021's Home Sweet Home Alone are by far the worst entries in the series. The former is intended as a "direct" sequel to 1992's Lost in New York, yet with a completely different cast playing much younger versions of the original characters (how did the preteen "Kevin" revert himself back into a toddler? How did his teenaged siblings, "Buzz" and "Megan", revert themselves back into preteens?). Two of "Kevin"'s siblings, Jeff and Linnie, are omitted entirely, as is Harry, while "Marv" returns dressed like Harry. The latter, and latest, entry stars an extremely wealthy (more so than the McCallisters) and obnoxious brat, who tortures a genuinely nice couple struggling through financial hardships. At one point in the movie, Richie Rich is somehow mistaken for a poor child and receives a charity gift...which he keeps. Also, an unrepentant Buzz McCallister returns as a middle-aged policeman, remaining just as repulsive as he was in his youth. Yeah, no, thanks.
Jingle All the Way, 1996
A Christmas movie that most parents can certainly relate to, 1996's Jingle All the Way chronicles the Christmas conundrum of Howard Langston, a workaholic father desperately seeking a Turbo Man doll for his young son, Jamie (♪ "Maybe Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry." ♫), whom he's disappointed one too many times already and can't afford to let down again. Unfortunately for Howard, Turbo Man dolls are the latest toy fad, and he's waited until Christmas Eve to seek one out. As such, he must hit the ground running, searching every nook and cranny of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, including the Mall of America, for the elusive doll, all while competing against Myron Larabee, a postal worker on the verge of going postal.
Side Note: I've just realized that all the original Christmas movies we've covered up to this point are set in the Midwest. I wonder why that is? Is Christmas more popular in the Midwest than it is in the Northwest, Southwest, Old West, West Coast, East Coast, Deep South, or New England?
Now, the "sequel"...
Ugh, another "sequel-in-name-only" starring Larry the Cable Guy of Cars fame? Why? Anyway, 2014's Jingle All the Way 2 depicts Larry as a divorced father competing with his young daughter's new stepfather to track down one of those evil teddy bears from Toy Story 3. Given this "sequel" has absolutely nothing to do with the original Arnold Schwarzenegger flick, why not simply title it, "The Teddy Bear Scare," or something along those lines? Why attempt to deceive Jingle All the Way fans into watching it? Dirty pool, if you ask me.
Bad Santa, 2003
A Christmas movie that most cantankerous curmudgeons can certainly relate to, 2003's Bad Santa chronicles the holiday humbuggery of Willie Soke, a miserable misanthropic career criminal who poses as a department store Santa every Christmas to rob shopping malls all across the United States with his diminutive accomplice, Marcus Skidmore. Willie is essentially a foul-mouthed, 21st century Ebenezer Scrooge with a drinking problem and a healthy libido to boot. As with Scrooge, Willie undergoes a similar Christmas redemption arc upon arriving in Phoenix and meeting Sue, a bartender with a longtime Santa fetish, and Thurman, a little boy who believes Willie to be the real Santa Claus. As the good-natured Sue and Thurman begin chipping away at Willie's gruff exterior and uncovering some of the good within him, Marcus takes note and begins to view his partner in crime as a liability.
Now, the sequel...
I'm of the belief that Christmas redemption stories should remain one and done affairs. After all, could you imagine Scrooge reverting back to his miserly behaviour and throwing away all that character development? Unfortunately, that describes the path Willie takes in 2016's Bad Santa 2, teaming up with his abusive mother and the treacherous Marcus to rob a Christmas charity in Chicago. This premise renders the original flick's ending rather pointless and depressing in hindsight. Again, no thanks.
Christmas Bonus: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 2000
A Christmas movie that most believers in Christmas miracles can certainly relate to, 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas chronicles the holiday heroics of young Cindy Lou Who, whose unwavering belief in the Grinch's ability to turn his perpetual frown upside down eventually melts his cold heart and convinces him to abandon his plans to steal Christmas, redeeming him in the process.
Side Note: While there isn't a sequel to 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, let's wrap things up by crafting a hypothetical one, just for the fun of it!
Now, our hypothetical sequel...
As per modern Hollywood standards, we've waited a minimum of twenty-five years to produce our Christmas sequel that nobody asked for nor wanted, which we've titled, Cindy Lou Who. Somehow, we've even managed to convince Taylor Momsen and Jim Carrey to reprise their roles as Cindy and the Grinch, respectively. Our sequel begins with a flashback involving a CGI-de-aged Cindy witnessing a CGI-de-aged Grinch being run out of Whoville shortly after the events of the original flick, traumatizing her in the process. We then jump forward in time to Cindy's rebellious teenaged years, in which her disillusionment over Christmas commercialism and idolization of the Grinch both increase, leading her to adopt his philosophy and lifestyle. One final time skip brings us to the present, with a now-adult Cindy convinced that her furry green friend was right for attempting to steal Christmas. As such, Cindy decides to see the Grinch's once-discarded plan through to fruition, seeking out and teaming up with her re-embittered mentor along the way. How's that for an unnecessary Christmas sequel?
Well, that concludes our inaugural Christmas special! Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for even more unnecessary sequels and "sequels"! Do you have any thoughts on this post? If so, feel free to reach out by leaving a comment, dropping me a line, or signing my guestbook to share your opinions on this or any other topic. To receive the latest updates on my work or to directly interact with my content ("likes" or comments), follow me on Neocities. Also, feel free to press the "like" button if you enjoyed this post, as "likes" help me gauge audience interest in the content I post. After all, I don't want to bore anyone, ha-ha. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease!
Posted in "Nerd Alert" on Wednesday, December 10th, 2025.