Review of Jingle All the Way (1996) by Kyle M — 18 Dec 2014
A topical film on last minute Christmas shopping turned into a ridiculous, exaggerated family parody on the subject that brought the tough Arnold Schwarzenegger down to a more humiliating role than being a pregnant man doing an experiment.
"Jingle All the Way" turned the comedic fiasco of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" into a holiday shopping scenario on looking for an action figure of a bad TV superhero who has the power to turn his adorers into imbeciles when he knows that he's to them bad but in their minds great.
Arnold plays a working father who inadvertently breaks promises to his young boy and wants to do something for him to make it up. Before saying those words through asking him what he can do for Santa to give something his son wants for Christmas, he wasn't affected by the superhero's spell, but the spell got to him for the love of his son to desperately look for that HTF (hard to find) action figure at the worst time of its needed existence during the most wonderful time of the year.
The Christmas spirit of happiness only made a presence during meaningful moments throughout the third act. There are also rare laughable moments about an amount of 5, and Arnold managed to create 80% of that comedy of only just a couple of moments - the best takes place after the blooper-free credits.
It can probably be said that the most wonderful time of the year and how people celebrate the traditions was targeted for the first time in a form of a parody besides Santa being the frequent target of a Christmas parody. And it acts like an okay family film for them to enjoy if they don't see how ridiculous the whole fiasco is or just find it funny as that what parodies usually do if not a failed attempt.
Christmas spirit was tiny - smaller than the amount what "Christmas with the Kranks" contains - when overpowered by, again I say it, how totally ridiculous it is with some signs of stupidity and the mentioned meaningful moments doesn't have enough power to change that. So to say if "Jingle All the Way" is a miss, I think the word "miss" should be added to this film's version of Jingle Bells. (C+).
Before I end this review, I would like to add what movie didn't add that would've been the best piece: "It's a Mad. Mad. Mad. Mad. World!".
This review of Jingle All the Way (1996) was written by Kyle M on 18 Dec 2014.
Jingle All the Way has generally received mixed reviews.
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