Review of Jingle All the Way (1996) by Ben L — 29 Dec 2015

Make no mistake, this movie is bad. It might be one of the most misguided Christmas movies I've seen. First of all it starts with the standard trope from 90s movies where we are told a parent is bad because they have a full-time job.

It is accentuated because they miss some event in their child's life, and despite all appearances that they do have genuine love for the child after the fact, missing this event means they are completely misguided and need to do something to prove they are worthy of being a parent.

It is so overused that I find myself rolling my eyes before they even hit the 15 minute mark in Jingle All the Way. The crazy part of this movie is that from there it only goes downhill. Arnold's willingness to use any means necessary to get a particular toy for his son leads him through a series of downright farcical scenarios that would be hard to buy even in a cartoon.

The sad part is its not heart-warming, it doesn't seem motivated by love, it is almost a celebration of commercialism. I'm convinced the only way to get through Jingle All the Way is to watch it with a group of friends who will make fun of it with you, because the story is just too depressing and annoying to watch without adding your own humor.

Perhaps the only bright spot is a super creepy performance by Phil Hartman, who always knows how to commit to a role even when the material is terrible. Save yourself the trouble...do not waste your time on this sorry excuse for a Christmas movie.