Matt O’Connor
It’s Day 6 of our Christmas Movie Countdown! Every holiday season, there’s always one big ticket toy that children around the world desperately want. Things like Tickle Me Elmo and the Cabbage Patch Kids drove parents mad as all out brawls broke out as parents tried desperately to get their hands on some of these toys, and there’s a movie that captures those instances and tells a funny and heartwarming story.
Jingle All The Way was released in 1996 and tells the story of Howard Langston, a mattress salesman who’s down on his luck as he’s trying to get his son Jamie the present he wants the most. This Christmas, Turbo Man action figures top the holiday charts, and the movie follows Howard’s attempt to get one for Jamie. But during the commotion, he develops an intense rivalry with Myron Larabee. Howard goes to great lengths to get his hands on a Turbo Man figure, from attempting to buy one for a counterfeit ring run by con artists, to running to a radio station who’s hosting a promotion for a Turbo Man figure.
Admittedly, Jingle All The Way falls shorter than most of the previous movies we’ve looked at when it comes to its plot and its characters, but it makes up for it through the pure shock and entertainment that’s on display as we watch Howard fight to get his hands on a Turbo Man figure. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance isn’t Oscar worthy, but it’s still entertaining enough to get you invested.
Jingle All The Way really hones in on the commercial chaos and holiday frenzies that parents and general shoppers have become all too familiar with. Despite its faults, it’s still a solid Christmas film throughout. There’s still plenty of films on our list to go through as the holiday train continues.
