Jingle All The Way

Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners.

MPAA Rating: PG

IMDB Rating: 5.1 / 10

Length: 94 min

Tags: adventure, comedy, family, action

Director: Brian Levant
Writers:

Cast:

Howard Langston
(Arnold Schwarzenegger)
Myron Larabee
(Sinbad)
Ted Maltin
(Phil Hartman)
Liz Langston
(Rita Wilson)
Jamie Langston
(Robert Conrad)
Billy
(Martin Mull)
Dementor
(Jake Lloyd)
Turbo Man
(James Belushi)
Officer Hummell
(Robert Conrad)
D.J.
(Martin Mull)
Mall Santa
(James Belushi)
Johnny (as E.J. de la Pena)
(E.J. De La Pena)
First Lady
(Laraine Newman)
President
(Harvey Korman)
Dementor
(Richard Moll)
T.V. Booster / Puppeteer (as Jeff Deist)
(Jeff L. Deist)

Editor Review

Jingle All The Way is a Christmas film focussing on the more modern difficulties of the festive time of year. It features rival fathers, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad pitting their wits against each other, trying to find themselves the much-desired, but sold out toy, Turbo-Man, for their sons.

The film drew some criticism over its focus on the commercialism of Christmas, but was a big hit in the box office. Fitting, however, that a film so focussed on the materialism of modern day Christmas casts none other than the real life action hero, Schwarzenegger, in the lead role. No clearer is this financial message clear than when Arnie asks a toy salesman where his Christmas spirit is. He replies "The last one just left," with the last doll.

I can't quite picture either Arnie or Sinbad as believable normal Dads, missing softball games and failing to get their children the desired Christmas presents. Never mind selling mattresses delivering packages. And so the pair come with equally outlandish names. Meet Howard Langston and Myron Larabee, both wild and desperate to buy their way into their families' hearts.

Despite these flaws, the film manages to get under the skin. Maybe it's just the Christmas season. But then again, maybe it's the variety of wild antics that the protagonist gets involved in. There is a lot of falling, jumping, running, and overly expressive faces involved, and that's just for starters.

He is surrounded by police, armed and ready to fire. He has reindeer chasing him. He's starting fires. He's getting into battles with teams of hoodlum Mall Santas. All these escapades are in the desperate need to please his family, and they are more than enough to keep the kids laughing.

Phil Hartman is memorable as the loathsome neighbour, Ted, who can't put a foot wrong, even bringing his children a real reindeer. And there is a nice cameo from James Belushi as a Mall Santa, who rejoins Arnie after a successful cameo in The Last Action Hero.

The current economic climate helps us relate to the actions of the fathers and is perhaps an eye-opener into how we've changed from a simpler time. But for the hour and a half of Jingle All the Way, turn your mind off, get the popcorn on, sit back and enjoy.

And be sure to stick around after the credits, so as not to miss a final heart-warming scene, where there is a difficult question to come from Schwarzenegger's wife…

Fun Fact:

Inspired by the 1980's shopping frenzies over such items as the Cabbage Patch dolls and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

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