Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners.
MPAA Rating: PG
IMDB Rating: 5.1 / 10
Release Date: 11/22/1996
Length: 94 min
Tags: adventure, comedy, family, action

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.