Jingle All the Way (1996) might be a bit of a mixed bag, but we still think it's a Christmas classic. It's inspired by the real-life December "gold rush" that saw parents fly all over the world to get their hands on elusive toys such as Woody or Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story (1994) or one of the Power Rangers! But is Jingle All the Way kid-friendly?
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Jingle All the Way stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as workaholic father Howard Langston, who realizes that his priorities have been in the wrong order when he fails to have bought hot-toy-of-the-year Turbo Man for his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd). And so begins a race to get his hands on the toy before Christmas - but it isn't going to be easy, and he's not the only parent looking for one!
For many, calling the 1996 film a "Christmas classic" might be a bit of a stretch, but perhaps Jingle All the Way is more of a cult classic. While it isn't the greatest festive flick out there, it certainly has a sizeable following and has garnered a lot more appreciation since its release 26 years ago. It's also undoubtedly one of a number of favorites for many over the festive period.
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But is Jingle All the Way kid-friendly? Is it suitable for family viewing, or is it something for the adults once the kids are tucked up in bed waiting for Santa to bring them Turbo Man (because he's clearly a lot more organized than Howard Langston)? Well, the short answer is that it is a family-friendly flick.
The long answer, however, isn't so simple. Firstly, let it be said that there's no violence or cursing in Jingle All the Way, so straight off the bat, it makes for suitable kid-friendly viewing. But that's really just surface-level entertainment, because Jingle All the Way is actually jam-packed with innuendos!
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Nosy neighbour Ted Hartlin (played by the late Phil Hartman) spends a great deal of time throughout the movie trying to push his luck with Howard's wife Liz Langston (Rita Wilson), having already fraternized all the other wives in the area. As such, this makes for some fairly adult-themed jokes in the film.
But even beyond these innuendos (there's also a pretty awkward scene involving Arnie trying to retrieve a lottery ball from a kid in a ball-pit), there are themes that are perhaps far better understood by the adult viewers. This isn't to suggest that Jingle All the Way is thought-provoking stuff, but hear us out.
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The early to mid '90s saw a surge of insanely popular toys flood shelves, some that went on to become the hottest-toys-of-the-year come Christmas. Among them were Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, and, of course, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, based on the show of the same name.
And like Turbo Man, come Christmastime these toys were incredibly elusive, and news coverage all over the world detailed how countless parents had taken to the air to fly to other countries to try and get hold of one of these toys! So, you already know where we're going with this, right?
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Evidently inspired by these "gold rushes", Jingle All the Way is perhaps a movie that's best tailored towards adults. There's plenty here for kids too, of course - that's where all the Turbo Man stuff comes in - but this is a deliberately cynical commentary on the more commercial nature of the season of goodwill.
As such, Jingle All the Way can be enjoyed through two lenses - on one hand, it's a leave-your-brain-at-the-door Christmas comedy caper, and on the other, it speaks to the disenfranchised adult in all of us. While many consider it to be one of the worst Christmas films of all time, we're inclined to disagree.
If, however, that criticism is targeted specifically towards this movie's "anti-Christmas" theme, maybe they have a point! But with that said, it's still sprinkled with enough heart-warming drama to keep a smile on your face.
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As per Disney Plus, here's the official synopsis for Jingle All the Way:
After promising his young son that Santa will get him the number one item on the boy's wish list, a well-meaning workaholic father's Christmas Eve turns into a hilariously nightmarish, madcap scramble across the city to find the much sought-after and therefore virtually impossible-to-find toy.
Business Howard Langston, is hard at work taking orders from customers to whom he just can't say no, including his son, Jamie, who asked for the hottest action figure of the season - Turbo Man! But Howard is facing one BIG problem. It's Christmas Even and Turbo Man has been sold out since Thanksgiving! Howard's trek to find Turbo Man turns into an odyssey wilder than he could have ever imagined.