Written By TheChoujinVirus
Note: The following review may contain spoilers to the movie
Christmas is around the corner, and thus the mad shopping for the hottest item for your loved ones is upon us. Folks were a copy of Pokemon Yellow, the newest Tickle Me Elmo doll or the latest gaming console like the Playstation 5 or any hot item someone wanted. The nineties were no exception, especially with comedies. None were iconic than this film made by Brian Levant (Director of films like Beethoven and the live-action Flintstones movie) and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad. This movie was none other than 1996’s Jingle All The Way. A film that parodied the crazy Christmas shopping and hot items people went out of their ways to claim it. How does this movie stack up? Well, Let’s explore the film.
Abridged plot summary
The story begins with Howard Langston (played by Arnold Swarzenegger), a workaholic mattress salesman who ends up spending more time with his work than spending time with his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) and Jamie Langston (Jake Lloyd). After missing his son’s karate class graduation, Howard finds that he doesn’t respect him. He learns that Jamie has his eyes set on a superhero called Turbo-Man and thus wants one for Christmas. However, his wife told him to buy it weeks ago, to which Howard had forgotten to buy one. This event leads him into crazy antics as he tries to find a Turbo-Man doll around town. He also has to deal with another father and postal worker, Myron Larabee (Simbad). Howard’s attempt at getting this elusive doll puts him into precarious situations such as brawls in toy stores, into an underground Santa counterfeit ring, a bomb scare, and even right up to a fight at a Christmas parade with him as Turbo-Man himself. It’s a fun movie about a father going out of his way to get a doll for his son.
Turbo-Time: What makes the movie great?
The movie has some great things; one such is the large ensemble of influential names. Besides Arnold and Simbad, you also have some well-known actors like a young, pre-Episode 1 Jake Lloyd playing Jamie. You also have Phil Hartman (of Simpsons and SNL fame), Rita Wilson, and even some side characters like the police officer Arnold runs into is played by none other than The Wild Wild West’s Robert Conrad. Making it an exciting cast of prominent names. You have some comedic moments that will make you laugh, such as when Myron tries to scare Harold and a radio DJ with a fake package bomb, and in irony, it turns out to be a real bomb when the police officer tries to disarm it.
Nobody Likes you Booster: What the movie lacks.
Though the movie has some comedy, some parts do get me puzzled, like with Hartman’s character, Ted Maltin has a side story where he’s trying to make a move. Though sadly, in the end, the only outcome is the second when Ted finds out about Howard’s statement, he leaves (though covered in barf.) Not much of anything or Howard finding out about it.
Another thing is somewhat of the characters themselves. They’re not bad, but some of them make it hard to see. For example, we learn about Myron and why he wanted to get the doll for his kid because his father failed to get him something when he was a child. Some might find it hard to be sympathetic toward him when he does something like a fake bomb scare or even hijacking a parade. Howard isn’t innocent either, as he does do some shady things to get the doll as well. Also, it’s somewhat hard to see Arnold trying to play an American man when some of his accents show up.
Should you watch it?
The good news is that the movie is available on Disney+, alongside its not-so-successful sequel. However, I would strongly suggest watching the first one. The film, though campy, does have some stuff that can make this movie your own personal traditional Christmas movie.
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