Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

Fox Home Entertainment – 89 minutes – 1996 – Rated PG – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

 

 

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the only action hero of the 80’s/90’s who could pull off one golden trick that put him ahead of the pact; he could make ultra violent films like Total Recall and Conan The Barbarian, and then turn around and make silly family friendly flicks like Kindergarten Cop and Jingle All The Way, and both genres would be successful. There are plenty of Christmas films out there so if this is your thing then Fox Home Video brings Jingle All The Way to Blu-ray so you and your family can sit under the tree, eat toasted marshmallows, and watch The Terminator save Christmas.

 

THE MOVIE

 

Jingle All The Way gets it’s premise from situations that parents have to go through finding the hard to find gift to make sure they’re child is happy on Christmas morning. Any parent who is currently trying to find a Nintendo Wii for Christmas can completely relate to what Arnie is going through in this film. Schwarzenegger plays Howard Langston a work-a-holic family man who is so caught up in his business that he neglects his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd), and wants to do anything to make it up to him. Howard’s wife Liz (Rita Wilson), reminds him that Jamie really wants a Turbo Man action figure, and told him several weeks ago to pick one up. Now it’s Christmas eve and Howard, who thinks he can just walk right into the store and get one, realizes that there are many other parents waiting in front of the toy store were thinking the same thing.

 

This sets off Schwarzenegger’s biggest adventure on film yet, as he desperately tries to find a Turbo Man doll to restore his son’s trust in him. As you would guess the ride is filled with many comical hijinx as Howard has to deal with everything from a disgruntle postal worker (Sinbad), who is alos searching for a Turbo Man doll, a corrupt store Santa (Jim Belushi), who trying to extort him for a doll, a motorcycle cop (Robert Conrad), who is always on his tail, and a variety of other characters who seem to all be in his path.

 

Jingle All The Way is a hard film to say anything bad about, because it’s heart is in the right place. Sure it’s extremely silly, but it’s supposed to be. Turbo Man looks like a Mighty Morphing Power Ranger, which were extremely popular in the mid 90’s, so when Schwarzenegger puts on that big red suit, you’re going to laugh. Arnold is having a lot of fun in this movie, and this is why it works, because even though he’s known for being a big screen tough guy, here he has no problem being the butt of most of the jokes. Also, where most Christmas films become instantly dated, but because of there will always be that one hard to find toy or product around the holidays, Jingle All The Way can still feel fresh by just replacing Turbo Man with whatever is the hot item at the moment. While it’s not It’s A Wonderful Life, Jingle All The Way has it’s own place in Holiday movie history.

 

VIDEO

 

With full 1080p resolution in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Jingle All the Way looks great for a picture over a decade old. Colors are bright and because most of the scenes are filmed during the day and outdoors, making everything look crisps and crystal clear. Maybe to clear is some scenes, because you can see that Arnold was starting to show his age and can see his wrinkled turkey neck poking up from his shirt collars. If you’re looking for an upgrade from that old DVD you have, this Blu-ray transfer is the best way to go.

 

AUDIO

 

Jingle All The Way sounds great, offering a DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix that allows every line of dialogue to be heard as if you were on the scene. There are actually quite a large amount of sound effects in the film as well, particularly in the finale where Turbo Man fights his foe to save his son. Overall, the mix has been balanced well to ensure that you get to enjoy the film the way it was meant to be heard.

 

EXTRAS

 

The pickings in the bonus features are slim, not even offering a director’s audio commentary track.

 

‘The Making of a Hero’ is a fifteen-minute featurette looking at the design of Turbo Man, from conception to full-sized costume.

 

‘Super Kids’ is a short clip of kids talking about what makes a superhero great.

 

‘Turbo Man: Behind the Mask’ is a spoof of Where Are They Now? Looking at the rise and fall of the actor who played Turbo Man in the TV show.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

Jingle All The Way is a silly Christmas movie, but it brings a smile to your face. Kids will enjoy it, because it’s a film about a living toy, and parents who can’t find Wii’s this Holiday will totally relate to it. The Blu-ray offers great picture and sound quality, and if you’d like to see the kinder and gentler side of Schwarzenegger, this is the one for you.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

 

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 3.0