Cc:​lucie.rothwell@yahoo.ca​

Tue 4/9/2024 12:06 AM

Movie review: Jingle all the way (1996) seen on videocassette and DVD as well as other streaming platforms:

Howard Langston, (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger,) works as a mattress salesman. After he upsets his young son Jamie, (played by Jake Lloyd,) by missing his karate class due to work obligations and a traffic stop by a police officer, Howard attempts to make it up to Jamie by buying him the must have toy of the season, which is a toy that he wants. This toy is a turbo man action figure. As these events take place on Christmas eve, the turbo man doll would be hard to find on Christmas eve. Howard then sets out on a journey to find the special toy and encounters large crowds, shopping violence, and stores that are completely sold out of turbo man dolls. Along the way, Howard meets a mailman named Myron Larabee, (played by Sinbad,) who has the same goal as he does; to get his son a turbo man doll. Throughout the day, the two men cross paths while each man is still on the hunt for the toy. They are constantly seen fighting against each other to be the first in line in hopes of obtaining what would be the last toy, etc. Aside from Myron, Howard also meets a strict police officer, (the same officer that caused him to be late for Jamie’s karate class,) and routinely gets in trouble with him for various reasons including breaking the mirror on his police bike and spilling coffee on him. He also comes across a crooked bunch of Santa clauses in a warehouse who sell him a faulty turbo man doll that comes apart when he tries to take it out of the box. On top of trying to deal with making his son happy, Howard is suspicious of his wife Liz, (played by Rita Wilson,) and her friendship with the womanizing bachelor named Ted, (played by Phil Hartman.) This is a friendship that at times throughout the film appears as if it might turn into something more. With all of this on his plate, Will Howard’s Christmas be as merry as he wants it to be? Will his son forgive him even if he cannot find the turbo man doll?

This movie was a pass for me. I was six years old when it first came out so at that age, I was not able to rate movies as well as I can now. However, I have heard from people over the years that it’s not the best Christmas movie. To be honest, each year I grow more and more tired of watching it as this is a movie I tend to watch at least once a year.

My favourite character in this movie is Myron because of the actor who plays him. I’ve always felt Sinbad was a staple of the 90’s and he was a rough individual who had just the right amount of comedy in my opinion. I have to give him credit for his acting in this movie because I think it speaks volumes to the level of stress anyone goes through at that time of year when doing last minute Christmas shopping and wanting to get your kids exactly what they want and worrying about rejection if they don’t get it, etc. Sinbad’s rough demeanor in his character as well as his knack for comedy made him fit perfectly in this role. The same can be said for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character. He shows throughout this film that he’s willing to do anything for his son in order to make his Christmas special. This to me makes him a good father.

One thing I like about this movie is that even though it’s supposed to be a kid’s movie, the movie did it’s best to incorporate themes which are adult oriented as well such as the law being broken numerous times throughout the film, some sequences of action including gun fire and a bomb going off in one scene, and infidelity between Howard’s wife and the neighbor which is hinted throughout the film. Even though it’s a children’s movie, this movie also manages to sneak in some scenes intended for adults as well. In other words, it’s not just a children’s movie, it can also be seen as an adult one as well and therefore it is suitable for all ages.

I think the primary lesson to be learned from this movie is that sometimes you can’t always get exactly what you want. Another lesson to be learned is that no matter how much you have, there is always going to be someone who has more. In the end of this film, Jamie does not end up with the turbo man doll he wanted but he decides that having flown with Turbo man himself in the parade was enough to make him happy. However, I believe the biggest lesson to be learned from this movie is to count your blessings and be happy with what you do have rather than being upset at what you don’t have and to not be jealous of those who have what you want or have more than you do.

I feel like this movie has passed it’s time. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it so many times and with that, I would have to say that I do not recommend watching this movie more than once.

Movie rating from 1 to 10 (1 being low and 10 being high,) 2 out of 10