Jingle All The Way Review

The video cover of the film

Joyeux Noel, everyone! It’s time  for another Christmas movie review. Today, it’s going to be a Schwarzenegger flick entitled Jingle All The Way. Now, those who are familiar with this film have either loved it or hated it like yellow snow. What do I think of it? Well I think it’s a pretty good film, but it has many drawbacks that I will get to further in the review. First of all, I don’t think this movie was meant to be taken seriously. I think it was aimed toward young children and meant to give that Christmas blend we all love so much. I also think that some of the things in this film were not needed, but still give the film texture and moral.

The film revolves around a work-obsessed father named Howard, played by Schwarzenegger, who keeps missing out on some of his son’s major events. He tries to make it up to him by buying him a Turbo Man action figure, but he waits until the last minute, so when Christmas Eve rolls around, he is unable to find it. Along the way, he runs into a mailman played by Sinbad, who is also looking for the toy. And in a cheesy act of stunts and dialogue, they run into a lot of trouble and mischief. One of the things I really did not like about the film is that it didn’t seem to go one minute without making a joke. It seemed like every minute, there was some sort of gag or comic relief, especially at the part where a bomb goes off in the one building, and when you thing everyone was killed, they appear to be still alive, but in an unoriginal and cliched way. I also didn’t like how Howard andthe mailman are one minute friends, and the next minute worst enemies. It’s like, gee, you’re a swell guy, thanks so are yo…..Turbo Man Toy! PUNCH! KICK! BANG! THE TOY IS MINE! NO, IT’S MINE!

I also wasn’t really a big fan of Jake Lloyd, who plays Howard’s son, Jamie (he also plays Anakin in Star Wars: Episode I). He seemed to complain alot and didn’t seem to be that intelligent. At the end of the film after a big chase with the mailman at the Christmas parade, he gives the toy to the mailman after being brutally chased by the idiot minutes before. It’s not worth being chased and nearly killed kid, just give the mailman dressed in the Skeletor suit the darn toy! It’s also odd that a Christmas parade like the one in the film is able to perfect a fully functional jet-pack that Howard rides on to catch his son. Who is the man that did at! He deserves a noble prize.

But to be honest, it’s not all bad. I do enjoy the meaning of the story and some of the ideas they had come up with. The warehouse with the Santa Clauses was very original, and I really enjoyed some of the corny, yet entertaining stunts and gags that were in this film. And how many films have Schwarzenegger punch a reindeer! It would be incredible if he were the Terminator, then he could knock that reindeer into oblivion (just kidding). Overall, Jingle All The Way is an “okay” film, but still has it’s flaws. If you are a hard core fan of Christmas films, I say to avoid this film, but if you are in the need of some yuletide entertainment, I say check it out. Put that cookie down!