Sigh, Jingle All the Way, how this film has a rating that is above the 4.0's on IMDb boggles my mind. This is one of the scariest films of all time. First off, we have Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator, he's playing this wacky almost like 80's silly comedy show type of Father Knows Best. Second, I think this is the film that just gives up on us, it goes from alright to stupid to silly to bad to just plain awful. Third there is nothing redeemable about this movie: the terrible acting, the lousy story, the crappy moral behind it's shallow message, and Arnold's accent, granted the accent has gotten him a career, but still it's disturbing the way he presents some of his lines. Not to mention that for some odd reason they put Sinbad in this movie, sorry to say but he is just not funny, actually no body, even one of the best voice actors of all time: Phil Hartmen... I can't believe he took on this movie.
Howard Langston is often busy at his job, and has a hard time finding time for his wife, Liz and his young son, Jamie - especially when compared to next door superdad divorcé, Ted Maltin. After breaking his word again by missing Jamie's karate grading, Howard resolves to redeem himself and his marriage by fulfilling Jamie's ultimate Christmas wish, an action figure of Turbo-Man, a popular children TV superhero. Unfortunately, as is the habit with him, Howard has promised to buy that figure earlier that year and then promptly forgotten about it. To make things even harder, Turbo-Man toys are the must-have gifts of the season, and stocks of Turbo-Man toys are quickly drying up all over the country. Desperate not to disappoint his family again, Howard embarks on an epic city-wide quest to find the toy everyone's looking for. Along the way, Howard encounters Myron Larabee, a postal worker dad with a rival ambition, and the two quickly become bitter competitors in their race for the action figure. The chase begins to arise the ire of a police officer whom Howards keeps running into, and one of the most memorable scenes includes Howard desperately hooking up with a band of brand-spoofing crooks and ending up thrashing them. In addition, Ted attempts to hit on Liz, which she eventually turns down hard. The search climaxes with both dads masquerading as live action stuntman in a department store parade. As the "real" Turbo-Man, Howard uses the opportunity to present a coveted limited-edition Turbo-Man doll to his son in the crowd. But before he can recognize his dad, Jaime is chased around the parade by Myron, dressed as Turbo-Man's arch nemesis Dementor.
Jingle All the Way is just one of those movies that you wonder how in the heck it got green lighted. It's just so stupid, I love how the ending, Myron tries to kill a child to get a stupid toy for his son and all is forgiven so easily. Gotta love how Turbo-Man has an Austrian accent, muscle bound, square jaw, tall... yet his own kid doesn't recognize him at all. Even the one scene that had a great joke, the bomb that was wrapped as a present, they even ruined that with a lousy slapstick joke that I know it was a family movie, but it just was stupid. But give or take, it's not that bad of a movie, there are some good jokes in it. I can't give Arnold a bad review, I just can't, it's not in my blood as a critic. There are some moments that are very funny like Arnold screaming at his neighbor for eating his wife's cookies. Also Arnold is just too likable as well as Phil Hartman. It's a light recommendation, not the worst movie of all time, but just one of the silliest.
1/10
Howard Langston is often busy at his job, and has a hard time finding time for his wife, Liz and his young son, Jamie - especially when compared to next door superdad divorcé, Ted Maltin. After breaking his word again by missing Jamie's karate grading, Howard resolves to redeem himself and his marriage by fulfilling Jamie's ultimate Christmas wish, an action figure of Turbo-Man, a popular children TV superhero. Unfortunately, as is the habit with him, Howard has promised to buy that figure earlier that year and then promptly forgotten about it. To make things even harder, Turbo-Man toys are the must-have gifts of the season, and stocks of Turbo-Man toys are quickly drying up all over the country. Desperate not to disappoint his family again, Howard embarks on an epic city-wide quest to find the toy everyone's looking for. Along the way, Howard encounters Myron Larabee, a postal worker dad with a rival ambition, and the two quickly become bitter competitors in their race for the action figure. The chase begins to arise the ire of a police officer whom Howards keeps running into, and one of the most memorable scenes includes Howard desperately hooking up with a band of brand-spoofing crooks and ending up thrashing them. In addition, Ted attempts to hit on Liz, which she eventually turns down hard. The search climaxes with both dads masquerading as live action stuntman in a department store parade. As the "real" Turbo-Man, Howard uses the opportunity to present a coveted limited-edition Turbo-Man doll to his son in the crowd. But before he can recognize his dad, Jaime is chased around the parade by Myron, dressed as Turbo-Man's arch nemesis Dementor.
Jingle All the Way is just one of those movies that you wonder how in the heck it got green lighted. It's just so stupid, I love how the ending, Myron tries to kill a child to get a stupid toy for his son and all is forgiven so easily. Gotta love how Turbo-Man has an Austrian accent, muscle bound, square jaw, tall... yet his own kid doesn't recognize him at all. Even the one scene that had a great joke, the bomb that was wrapped as a present, they even ruined that with a lousy slapstick joke that I know it was a family movie, but it just was stupid. But give or take, it's not that bad of a movie, there are some good jokes in it. I can't give Arnold a bad review, I just can't, it's not in my blood as a critic. There are some moments that are very funny like Arnold screaming at his neighbor for eating his wife's cookies. Also Arnold is just too likable as well as Phil Hartman. It's a light recommendation, not the worst movie of all time, but just one of the silliest.
1/10