'A Christmas Story Christmas' Trailer Is Out, But Can Nostalgia Save It?

The sequel that nobody asked for - 'A Christmas Story Christmas' - finally has a trailer.

Yep. After nearly 40 years, Ralphie is back on your screens as a middle-aged man trying his darndest to fill his dad's shoes and give his kids a great Christmas.

Peter Billingsley returns as potty-mouth Ralphie and will be joined by several of the original cast members, including Ian Petrella as Randy, Zack Ward as Scut Farkus, Scott Schwartz as Flick and R.D. Robb as Schwartz. 

All right. I've stalled long enough and there's a decent chance you haven't read any of this and just skipped right along to the video, which is what I would've done.

Have at it.

Watch 'A Christmas Story Christmas' Sequel Trailer

Thoughts?

Let's start here ... I don't think this is going to be terrible. Now, I don't think it's going to be good, but the nostalgia-factor alone will draw plenty of eyeballs. That's literally the only reason I'll be watching.

Still, it feels way too corny on first look. The simplicity - and authenticity - of the original is what made it great, and these two minutes feel way over the top.

Like, what are we doing with all these theatrics?

We have snowmobiles plowing through snowmen, Schwartz flying through the air, Ralphie doing the limbo under someone's legs and a kid tearing someone's ACL with a sled.

Huh? Doesn't seem at all necessary, but that's what movies are nowadays. Society is all in on Kevin James-style humor, which works ... if it's Kevin James doing it.

Anyways, back on track.

Peter Billingsley sits on Santa's lap in a scene from the film 'A Christmas Story', 1983. (Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images)

Good luck replacing Darren McGavin, AKA 'The Old Man'

We do get a ton of callbacks to the original, which will obviously be key for this movie to at all be successful.

"Don't let him kick you in the face."

"Schwartz, I triple-dog dare ya!"

We also see Santa again perched at the top of the mountain inside the mall, Ralphie putting the star on the tree and we even get the classic Ralphie chuckle at the end.

That's all cool, and I can certainly get on board with it.

Here's the real problem this movie is gonna face, though ...

Darren McGavin, AKA: The Old Man, died long ago, and he was BY FAR the best part of the original.

Anything Old Man Parker did or said was gold, and it's all still funny to this day. Hell, it was still the funniest part of this trailer!

Darren McGavin. (Photo by Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images)

"Fragiiiiiiilllllee" still gets me every time, and I use it throughout the year. Always a crowd-pleaser.

The Old Man inaudibly yelling at the Bumpus Hounds on Christmas morning is still one of the funniest scenes in cinematic history, and that's not opinion. That's fact.

"HOLD it, don't anybody move ... a fuse is out."

That's the stuff you're just not going to be able to replicate in this one, and it will be a glaring hole.

Regardless, I'll obviously watch this bad boy and hope for the best. I assume I won't be alone, either.

Nostalgia sells, boys and girls.