Jingle All the Way

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman

Directed by: Brian Levant

Rating: I Liked It

This is a holiday film that I try to watch every year, but I won't be depressed if I miss it.  It's one of those movies that you quote all year long, though.  It's got some great lines in it, as most Schwarzenegger movies do.

The Good:

• Sinbad isn't in many movies, and I really like him.  It's good to see him here even if his goofiness is a little over the top.  
• Hartman is on point as the "caring", single neighborhood dad.  
• The crazy scenarios this guy gets into to get is son this toy seem overly ridiculous, but have you ever been to Walmart on Christmas Eve?  The way our culture is obsessed with material things and the way that not having the right toys or clothes seems to be able to destroy a child's life, this isn't too far from reality.  We just don't get the awesome soundtrack.  
• Jim Belushi as Santa: probably his best role.  

The Bad: 

• The goofy, corny slapstick is quite often WAY over the edge of what I can handle.  
• The ending sequence where Howard (Schwarzenegger) becomes the movies super hero is mind-blowingly over-the-top.  
• The running gag of the police officer Howard keeps coming in contact with is not all that great.  

The Ugly: 

• It's a goofy Christmas movie; so, I'll let it slide a little here.  The only really ugly thing about this movie is Schwarzenegger's accent.