Revisited - Jingle All the Way (1996)

Finally, it's christmas time and you know what that means, christmas movies. Of course there was a lot of movies to choose from, but none gave me more pleasure to watch when I was a kid then Jingle All the Way. Its a movie than isn't good nor is it bad, it enters a sphere of movie reality of just plain awesome and crazy. Its one of those movies where you grabbed your eggnog, put your feet up, and just watch it to ease away the past year worries and enjoy one of the jolliest holidays of the year.

Workaholic Minneapolis mattress salesman Howard Langston loves his wife, Liz, and nine-year-old son, Jamie, but is unable to find time for his family and often put in a bad light by his neighbor, divorcé Ted Maltin, who harbors unrequited feelings for Liz. After missing Jamie's Karate class graduation, Howard resolves to redeem himself by fulfilling Jamie's Christmas wish of an action figure of Turbo-Man, a popular television superhero, despite Liz actually having asked him to buy one two weeks earlier, which Howard forgot about. On Christmas Eve, Howard sets out to buy the toy, but finds that every store has sold out, and in the process develops a rivalry with Myron Larabee, a postal worker father with the same ambition.

In desperation, Howard attempts to buy a figure from a counterfeit toy band, which results in a massive fight in the warehouse that is broken up when the police arrive. Howard narrowly escapes arrest by posing as an undercover officer. Exhausted at his failure and out of fuel, Howard goes to Mickey's Diner and calls home, intending to tell his wife the truth. Jamie answers the phone and, instead of getting Liz, keeps reminding Howard of his promise to be home in time for the Christmas parade. Losing his patience, Howard yells at Jamie, after which he feels guilty and depressed.

Howard finds Myron at the diner and they share their experiences over alcohol, where Myron tells Howard of his resentment towards his own father for failing to get him a Johnny Seven OMA for Christmas. A radio station advertises a competition for a Turbo-Man doll. The ensuing fight between Howard and Myron results in the diner's phone getting damaged, forcing Howard and Myron to race to the radio station on foot, where the DJ tells them that the competition was actually for a Turbo-Man gift certificate. The police are alerted, but Howard and Myron escape after Myron threatens the officers with a letter bomb, which one officer sets off by accident.

Howard returns home to find Ted putting the star on his Christmas tree. In retaliation, Howard attempts to steal the Turbo-Man doll Ted bought for his son, Johnny, but is caught in the act and left alone while his family go to the Christmas parade with Ted. After letting the kids out of the car, Ted attempts to seduce Liz, but she violently rejects him by hitting him with a thermos of eggnog that Ted offered to her. Remembering his promise to Jamie to go to the parade, Howard decides to attend as well, but runs into the officer from the radio station. The ensuing chase leads to Howard hiding inside a storage room, where he is mistaken for the actor portraying Turbo-Man and dressed in the costume.

As Turbo-Man, Howard uses his chance to present a limited-edition action figure to Jamie, but before he can reveal himself, they are confronted by Myron, dressed as Turbo-Man's enemy, Dementor. Despite Howard's pleas for Myron to stop, a long chase ensues. Myron acquires the toy from Jamie but is cornered by police officers, while Howard saves his son. Howard reveals himself to his family and apologizes for his shortcomings. The police return the toy to Jamie as Myron is arrested, but Jamie decides to give the toy to Myron for his son, proclaiming his father as his true hero.

In a post-credits scene, that night, Howard finishes decorating their Christmas tree by putting the star on top, until Liz asks Howard what he got for her. Howard panics when he realizes that he forgot to get her a gift.

All in all, this movie is fantastic in many ways down to it's great and corny attacking to its outlandish script. However, like all christmas movies, its about the message at hand or rather the theme of the movie. In it's core its about a distant father trying to reconnect with his son by getting him the only toy he ever wanted and in turn being the father his kid wanted him to be. Like all christmas movies, this one will warm your heart and make you laugh your ass off. This has been Revisited, thanks for reading. Ricardo signing off.