Jingle All the Way (1996) Review

 CLAYTON'S CHRISTMAS CINEMA!

Jingle All the Way (1996) Review

There are those more serious Christmas film classics, like It’s A Wonderful Life or Die Hard, and then there are some on the lighter side of things, such as Jingle All the Way, starring the king of eighties action, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Christmas should be about having fun, and this film is definitely fun all the way.

Schwarzenegger plays a businessman too busy to spend time with his son Jaime (Jake Lloyd, the annoying kid who played young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace). He’s tasked with getting an action figure for Jaime based on his favourite TV show, Turbo-Man. He forgets to do so and at the last minute must embark on a perilous journey to obtain a Turbo-Man figure for Jaime, the only thing that will salvage their relationship. But, as he quickly finds out, Turbo-Man dolls are in high demand and have gone out of stock in the major department stores. Also in competition to find one along the way is another father (Sinbad, the comedian not the sailor), who works for the post office. Schwarzenegger will have to resort to trying to steal a Turbo-Man from someone else who was able to buy one, trying to get one from a secret group of shifty Santas that are pretty much running the black market of toys, and even trying to steal one from his neighbour’s house. As Christmas quickly approaches, Schwarzenegger takes drastic measures to ensure his son has the best Christmas possible.

Jingle All the Way is simply a blast. It’s never trying to be anything more than it is, which is a silly, fun family film about the holidays and the crazy lengths we go to just to get someone a present. If you’re a fan of Schwarzenegger, you can’t help but laugh as he dishes out seasonal one-liners and as much action as he can. Seriously, I never expected to witness Arnold Schwarzenegger punch a reindeer in the face AND fly around with a jetpack, all in the same movie! The story is really nothing special, but the pace is fast and it never takes itself too seriously. Some of the actors do go a little over the top in their roles; particularly Phil Hartman as the sleazy next-door neighbour and Sinbad as the rival father trying just as hard to get a Turbo-Man as Schwarzenegger. You may have noticed I keep referring to the main character as Schwarzenegger instead of by the character name. Honestly, I don’t remember the name of the character he played. It doesn’t matter, he’s Schwarzenegger, and the character’s are, admittedly, pretty forgettable, but that doesn’t stop them (and the movie as a whole) from still being entertaining.

Jingle All the Way is the kind of Christmas movie best enjoyed with your brain turned off. It doesn’t have stand out acting or special effects or an original message about the true meaning of Christmas, but it does have some great gags, fun action set pieces, and even a few heartfelt moments.