Jingle All the Way
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Movie Reviews of Jingle All the Way
Movie Review: Some background on this movie...
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm glad this movie is finally getting re-released since I've always liked it. If you *ever* want this movie, BUY IT NOW... here's why:
For those who don't know, this movie was pulled off the shelves about 3 years ago. Fox was on the losing end of a $19 million dollar lawsuit which claimed they had ripped off the script from a Detroit high school teacher (Brian Webster). Later, the award was reduced to $1.5 million. Meanwhile, Fox appealed the case which held off any payment until at least late 2003; however, Fox was forced by this decision to pull the movie off the market and excess stock was sent back to Fox.
Murray Hill publishing (the Plaintiff) had optioned a script titled "Could This Be Christmas" from Laurel as far back as 1993. The script was about two men trying to secure the last known Action Man doll on Christmas Eve. Murray Hill says they pitched "Could This Be Christmas" to Fox in 1994 and a year later Robert G. Laurel Lessnau learned of Fox's plans for "Jingle All the Way" which was penned by a script reader for Fox Studios.
On May 22, 2004, Fox won on appeal. Apparently they were able to show evidence that "Jingle All the Way" was based on a treatment that predated the pitch for "Could This Be Christmas" in 1994.
Murray Hill vows to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Incidentally, Murray Hill's Lessnau died in September 2001, about 6 months after the company's court victory.
When the movie was pulled, you saw the price on this DVD skyrocket. Here on Amazon, if you search for "Jingle All The Way", you'll find an "out-of-stock" version. This is the one that was pulled. Notice that the price is STILL (as of today) between $26.99 and $132.57. Before this re-release was announced, the prices were all in the $100 dollar range. Some people obviously have seen the writing on the wall and have reduced the price of these used DVDs on the eve of its re-release. Some people, I guess, have not heard of this coming. Anyhow, if you want this movie buy one (or two) NOW before any further legal action makes it unavailable again. Then you can sell your extra here at Amazon for a hefty profit.
Movie Review: This is a Story of Retail Nightmares...
Summary: 4 Stars
Working nearly 23 Christmas seasons I can still reflect on those dag-burn Cabbage Patch Dolls. It was a nightmare. From that year on toy makers had to come up with "The Christmas Toy." A toy to end all toys. A blockbuster! This movie celebrates such nonsense of the season and it does it with glee. Its being touted as a family film, but look deeper. Its a dark comedy about lies, greed, and broken promises. This film works on two levels. Sinbad's best performance is in this film. He is suprisingly more menacing than the governator himself, Ah-nuld. I really enjoyed this movie, and I won't watch it every Christmas like "Elf," or "Christmas Vacation," it still will make my holiday rounds every 2 or 3 years. Make sure you brush your teeth though after the ending. It is a little overly sweet.Movie Review: Way fun..
Summary: 4 Stars
I was pleasantly amused by this christmas folley. My kids loved it. There are those who are prepared for Christmas and those who are not. I've been both. This movie takes them to the extreme in an entertaining way. Hope you enjoy.Movie Review: arnold saves christmas
Summary: 4 Stars
Classis Arnold comedy with the addition of sinbad to boot. Tons of laughs for anyone who loves this acting master. Got to get the turboman!Movie Review: Non Traditional Christmas Movie That Illustrates The Commercial Slant On the Season
Summary: 3 Stars
"Jingle All the Way", is an oddity in the huge offering of Christmas movies that get an airing during the festive season each year. While it certainly is not to everyone's taste and lacks the sentimental and affirming message of so many other offerings at this time it can also be viewed as a quite candid illustration of what has happened to Christmas for many people where commercialism has taken over from the original purpose of the holidays. Arnold Schwarzeneggar is not someone you would automatically associate with the likes of James Stewart, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope as a Christmas icon but aside from his "Terminator", type roles he has proven himself quite adept at broad comedy and he handles his frantic role in "Jingle All the Way", very well. Never could this movie be called a Christmas classic and I personally feel a bit uneasy with the message it is conveying about the Christmas season and what it represents but the best way to approach it is as the frantic, broad comedy it most certainly is, choc full of pratfalls and slap stick that makes it a definite variation on the more traditional Christmas fare being offered.
"Jingle All the Way", opens with harried salesman Howard Langston (Arnold Swarzenegger), missing yet another one of his son Jamie's (Jake Llyod)activites, this being his karate class award ceremony. Neglectful also of his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) Howard continually makes promises to both of them that he will find more time for family matters however his work always ends up taking priority. Howard says to Jamie that he will make up fo rhis neglect and asks him what does he especially want for Christmas. Jamie asks for the hugely popular Turbo Man action figure which has been largely out of stock in stores since Thanksgiving. So begins a mad scramble by Howard to find the elusive toy which takes him on a hellish trip through every major department store in the city. Along the way Howard encounters a very disturbing cross section of mankind from manic postman Myron Larabee (Sinbad) who is also seeking out the elusive Turbo Man for his own child, to a devious conman Santa (John Belushi), who tricks Howard into buying a fake cheap imported version of the toy from a scam production company. Meanwhile neglected wife Liz is having to deal with the unwelcome attentions of sleazy neighbour Ted Maltin who pretends that he is only full of the "holiday spirit", while having to explain to Jamie why his father hasn't been home all day on Christmas Eve and is about to miss the annual Christmas parade in their local area that he promised to attend. Only after Howard's own desperate behaviour sees him stoop to robbing Ted's own wrapped Turbo Man doll from under his neighbour's Christmas tree, does he see the error of his ways and an opportunity to well and truly make it up to his family arrives when he is mistaken for the actor who was to play Turbo Man in the Christmas Parade and takes his place. After rescuing his own son after he is selected as the prize winner of the last available Turbo Man figure above other jealous would be owners Howard finally is able to be the hero and role model that his son always wanted him to be and this also engineers a reconciliation with Liz who with the help of a well aimed serving of eggnog manages to get rid of Ted's very unwelcome attentions at the parade for a happy fadeout.
I suppose the main problem for most viewers would be that apart from the very cynical message this film conveys about Christmas, is the fact that there are really no likeable or identifiable characters in the whole story. Only after the admittedly amusing scene where Howard/Arnold breaks into his neighbours home to steal his wrapped Turbo Man but then suddenly realises what he has done and that this madness is not worth it, do we see even an ounce of humanity in any of the characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger does a fairly good job with the largely impossible character he is given to work with here and while there is no deep examination of his character his handling of the numerous pratfalls and confrontations with salespeople and rival shoppers, ie Sinbad, is quite amusing. While his neglect of his family obligations is something that is not right the characters of his wife Liz and son Jamie are also problematic in that they seem to have little to do but simply complain about Howard's neglect of them with little being given by them in terms of support for Howard's busy schedule. Sindab's playing of the obviously quite unhinged mail man and rival for Howard in the hunt for the Turbo Man toy is played very broadly and loudly and his dementia is actually at times quite disturbing to watch as is the Phil Hartman character of the sleazy neighbour Ted who hides his darker side under the cover of a supposedly gentle and loving man just upholding the Christmas spirit. It is however nice to see veteran actor Robert Conrad reappear on the big screen in the role of harrassed Officer Hummell who continually runs into trouble with Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in various locations throughout the movie. Supposedly based on the producer's(Chris Columbus) , real life Christmas shopping experiences it really is a festive experience you wouldn't wish on anyone with icons such as Santa Claus depicted as a devious con man and shoppers depicted as almost vicious hunters consumed by greed, materialism and hatred for their fellow man. Visually "Jingle All the Way", compensates for its tarnished message with beautiful locations shot around a snowbound Minneapolis/St. Paul region which gives the film at least a rich festive look in between all the madness.
"Jingle All the Way", would most definately not be for all tastes and I find the best way to appreciate it is to really remove any of the usual expectations you have in regard to Christmas movies and simply go along for the wild ride. Despite having a upbeat and quite predictable conclusion it certainly does show in a most unflattering light what has become wrong with much of our holiday season and how the pressures of getting that elusive last present before closing time often overirdes everything else and can make people do things they ordinarily know are wrong. "Jungle All the Way",is certainly guilty of being exaggerated and lacking in any subtlety but in my case a viewing of it makes me think more clearly about what Christmas really should be about and on that level I guess the film has real value. Sit back and enjoy the wild search by Arnold Schwarzenegger for that elusive Turbo Man action figure in the crazy Christmas offering "Jingle All the Way", soon it might just make you think differently about Christmas in the future.