The most underrated Christmas movie of the ’90s, and dare I say even ever, was released 25 years ago this festive season. I’m, of course, talking about the wonderfully slapstick and silly, yet heart-warming and poignant, Jingle All The Way.
Growing up with a Hungarian bodybuilder father who idolised fellow Central European beefcake, Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’d seen the majority of his films by the time I was old enough to pronounce his name. While I’m a huge fan of the Terminator franchise (not all of the franchise, admittedly), and partial to Predator, now, Arnie’s foray into the family-comedies genre were more my thing back in my elementary school years.
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With a script written by Randy Kornfield and reworked by producer Chris Columbus (’90s classics Home Alone 1 & 2 and Mrs Doubtfire, as well as the Harry Potter series), and a cast that featured Schwarzenegger alongside stand-up star Sinbad, it was a sure-fire success. The movie was also the last to feature beloved comedy SNL actor and voice of The Simpsons fan-favorites Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure, Phil Hartman, before his untimely death.
The plot has everything you’d expect from a family comedy of that era: ridiculously over-the-top physical comedy, paired up with a quite depressing overarching theme of a family falling apart at the hands of The Man.
Schwarzenegger’s Howard loves his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) and son Jamie (Jake Lloyd), but stuck firmly in the rat race of corporate America, has trouble finding time to show it. Enter divorcé Ted Maltin (Hartman), who enthusiastically tries to fill that husband/father shaped hole, much to Howard’s dismay.
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Howard was supposed to pick up the action figure version of son Jamie’s favorite TV hero, Turbo-Man, for him for Christmas, but got tied up at work and now they’re sold out. On his mission to pick up the toy, he finds himself in a rivalry with mail-man Myron (Sinbad), who’s also trying to grab the illusive toy for his son. Of course, hilarity ensues, resulting in a jet-pack battle and Howard saving his son’s life dressed as none other than Turbo-Man. Because why wouldn’t that happen?
Jamie declares his dad as his real hero, giving the Turbo-Man doll to Myron for his son (even though he just tried to kill him… you’re a better man than me, kid), and the family’s Christmas is saved – until Howard realises he’s forgotten a present for his wife, too. Oh, Howie! *insert canned laughter*
As was tradition for ’90s Christmas movies, Jingle All The Way has an awesome soundtrack, featuring a bunch of rockin’ tunes from The Brian Setzer Orchestra and other rock n roll and jazz artists.
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Yes, it’s a cheese-fest with a pretty formulaic plot, but it still deserves a whole lot more than its 17% and rating of 4.3/10 on Rotten Tomatoes and 34% on Metacritic. Clearly, some critics have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas (movies): harmless sentimentality, slapstick comedy, and an underlaying satire of the commercialization of the holidays and the overwhelming consumerism of the American people. Duh.
Maybe it’s pure nostalgia, but Jingle All The Way still has a big piece of my heart at this time of year, and I’ll take Arnie running across town, chaotically trying to name Santa’s reindeer over the likes of Hugh Grant bumbling their way to a kiss under the mistletoe any day.
