Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Christmas Movies Out There!
Review: A Christmas Story is a MUST see for every family during Christmas time. Whether you are a young child or an adult, I guarantee you will love this movie!The main character, Ralphie dreams of getting a Red Rider 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle for Christmas. His mom thinks it's an absolutley horrible idea always claiming "he shoot his eye out." But his dad thinks a boy his age should own a BB gun. The main focus of the movie is what I just explained to you above, but their is much more to this charming movie. Ralphie fighting with the 2 bullies, Dad and his "leg" lamp, Ralphie and his hilarious pink bunny outfit he gets for Christmas made my his aunt, and many more. A Christmas Story is a MUST see for every family household there is. It is a great family movie! Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: It appears film aspect of this dvd is fine.
Review: I just compared the letterboxed laserdisc version of this film to the dvd full screen version of this film. The laserdisc version does nothing more than add black bars to the top and bottom of what you see on the dvd version. In other words...the top and bottom parts of the film are cut out on the laserdisc version. I noticed this with the dvd letterbox and full screen laserdisc version of "When Harry Met Sally." It appears you are actually not missing any part of the picture on this dvd version of this movie. I just completed a side-by-side comparison of
both versions and this is what I ended up with. So...go ahead and buy this version and you'll be just fine. You needn't worry about missing any part of the film as far as the original theatrical aspect of this film is concerned. A handful of film directors do this (James Cameron has done this with "The Abyss") because they are aware the film will eventually end up on television, so they will shoot the film as if shooting for a television release. When the film is first released in theaters they simply add black bars to the top and bottom of the film to make it appear widescreen. When it plays on tv the black bars are simply removed and you get the full screen version with none of the picture removed thus eliminating the necessity for pan-and-scanning; you actually get more picture information then the theatrical release.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't judge this DVD by its box
Review: First, shame on the outfit responsible for this DVD for not putting it out in its original theatrical widescreen ratio and otherwise providing those extras that give DVD the potential to be so superior to VHS (or regular broadcast television, for that matter). Presented in a decent DVD format, I'd've rated this 4 stars. Now, to the movie itself. It's very good, something of a minor classic, enjoyable on several different levels, and bears repeated viewings. The raves that dominate among the customer reviews here tend to go too far, but still this is a wonderful little movie, brimming with wit, insight, rich characterization and period detail. That said, some warning is needed beyond the PG rating -- many parents are apt not to take the PG seriously here, especially with the wholesome, somewhat saccharine photo montage bedecking its box. This is actually something of a dark comedy, with a mildly cynical view of childhood, a gently subversive attitude toward adult authority, and a jaundiced, almost paranoid, take on commercialism. There are moments of deceit, cruelty, intimidation, and (well-deserved) violence, all played for laughs. (There are heartwarming moments as well, applaudably noncloying.) Parents of young children take note. This is no FATHER KNOWS BEST or LEAVE IT TO BEAVER: There's no wise parent or pat ending here to iron out the wrinkles in the children's lives. What you get is a wry look at the (more or less) real life of a little middle-class boy, once upon a time in the Midwest.
Rating: 
Summary: A Christmas worth owning
Review: So often Hollywood tends to treat Christmas with such idealism that the holiday movies all begin to look the same. That's why "A Christmas Story" stands out so wonderfully. Life is imperfect in Ralphie's (Peter Billingsley) home - which makes him just like the rest of us. His mom is a nag, his dad uses foul language (beautifully gibberished by Darrin McGavin) and his little brother whines and won't eat his dinner. Meanwhile, Ralphie just wants the one thing for Christmas that no one else seems to want him to have - a Red Ryder B-B gun (because "he'll shoot his eye out...). "A Chirstmas Story" is fun throughout, and the characters are people we know and people we just might be. For kids, it's a snapshot into the lives their parents might have lived. And for parents, it's a look back at a simpler time when misbehaving in school meant daring someone to stick their tongue to the flagpole. This is one movie which is a standard in my household and is definitely worth adding to your Christmas movie collection.
Rating:
Summary: "Hey kid, you'll shoot your eye out!"
Review: In the nostalgic days of yesteryear, there existed a child named Ralphie in all of us. Narrated brilliantly by Jean Shepherd and based on his childhood memoirs, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story (1983) has truly become a splendid holiday favorite classic rivaling in its popularity Frank Capra's masterwork "It's a Wonderful Life". Set in the 1940's, director Bob Clark managed to capture the essence of childhood Christmas through the eyes of Ralphie, an unwittingly comical child whose imaginative character is both endearing and enduring. The plot revolves around Ralphie's aching desire for a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB rifle for Christmas, and his mom's opposition to it because she's afraid he'll shoot his eye out. We're amused by dad's on-going fight with the basement's smoke-belching furnace, and the old man's almost incessant child-like awe and obsession of a tacky woman's leg lamp he had won in a contest. Amid all of this, we meet Ralphie's whiny little brother, Randy, his silly school friends, the street bullies, and the surreal department store Santa. Aside from "you'll shoot your eye out", the film is filled with memorable lines including Ralphie's major swear words "Oh, fudge - only I didn't say fudge", and "Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a b..." and his disappointment when he got his school paper back after he was expecting an A+, "a C+? Oh no, it can't be!" The film appeals to all ages, but adults may find it especially amusing since it lets us look back and laugh at our own childhood.
Rating:
Summary: Ugh...OK, it's a guilty pleasure
Review: I'm going to have to admit it: I don't really like this movie. I bought it as a Christmas gift for my spouse, and, well... OK, it has its charms. The kid that gets his tongue stuck to the metal pole. The infamous "leg lamp". "You'll put your eye out". The kid that falls in the snow and (pre-Clapper days, no doubt) can't get up. I can't help myself in spots; I laugh in spite of my firmly-held belief that this is a mindless movie that seems to fall off just before rolling the final credits, as if the writer forgot to put in an ending. But since I'm in the minority in my household (EVERYONE loves it), I'll give it four stars for the leg lamp alone. You've gotta admire the leg lamp.
Rating:
Summary: A Christmas Classic! Dagnabit Blah!
Review: I love this movie. I also like the books that it is based upon by Jean Shepard. Truly funny. The dad is probably my favorite just because of his way with words. HA! But the classic scene is when Ralphie goes to see Santa : You'll shoot your eye out, kid! Merry Christmas! HO. HO. HO. A great movie for the whole family!
Rating: 
Summary: 1 dimensional
Review: This movie is over-rated. It is one dimensional. The kid wants a Red Ryder Rifle - we get it. Nice - but not a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful for children and adults alike!
Review: A Christmas Story is a lovely movie sure to boost up one's holiday spirit. It's an excellent movie for families to watch together in their living rooms on Christmas Day. Children are sure to enjoy it along with their parents. The movie takes place during the holiday season of the 1940s and is about a nine-year-old child named, "Ralph Parker" who longs for a Red Rider BB Gun to have for a Christmas present. However, there is one obstacle he would have to face in order to receive this gift: His mother doesn't approve of BB guns! But Ralph is determined to get past that obstacle by persuading Santa to give him the BB Gun for Christmas. A Christmas Story is the movie I would definitely recommend for people to watch whenever the holiday season comes.
Rating:
Summary: #1 XMAS CLASSIC
Review: There's not much to add to all the fine reviews extolling the sheer perfection of this Jean Shepherd fantasy. Someday the distributors will release a WIDESCREEN version with some extras that we've come to expect from DVD releases: background on the creators, outtakes & deleted scenes, etc., but for now we have to be satisfied with the bare bones version here. I have no complaints about the film itself --- it is flawless. Those grumps who want to stand out by seeing this movie as the exact opposite of its intention (not for kids? COME ON, GROW UP!) will not enjoy anything remotely clever on the level of CHRISTMAS STORY but, so what, the world is full of people who only think ADULTHOOD=MATURITY. This movie will be enjoyed by all ages for years to come...let's hope Warner Bros. is listening and they put together a definitive edition---I'd buy it in a second!
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