I’ve always been a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whether in an action classic like T2, a comedy like Twins or a campy flick like Commando, the man has been a physically charismatic entertainer for more than 20 years. His roles aren’t sophisticated, but they’re always fun, even when he departs from his action forte for a silly family film like Jingle All the Way.

Now on Blu-ray for the first time, Jingle All the Way pits Arnie against oversized funnyman Sinbad in a no-holds-barred battle for the most-wanted toy of the Christmas season. But is it worthy of high-def treatment? Read on.

Film

Jingle All the Way hit theatres in 1996, and is not a real highlight in Arnold’s filmography. Arnold plays Howard Langston, a workaholic mattress salesman and father who makes a big mistake: to make up for missing his son’s karate class, he promises to get him a Turbo-Man doll for Christmas. If only Howard had known it was the hottest toy of the season — that year’s Tickle-Me Elmo — and that every kid in the country wanted one under the tree on Christmas morning. Oh yeah, and it’s Christmas Eve, when the odds of securing a Turbo-Man doll are about equal to a snowflake’s chances in a raging inferno.

As if that’s not bad enough, Howard quickly finds a worthy nemesis in Myron Larabee (Sinbad), an unstable postal worker who’s also on a quest for Turbo-Man. The antagonistic interactions between these two characters are a definite highlight of Jingle All the Way, along with the antics of the late, great Phil Hartman, who plays a neighbor trying to make time with Howard’s wife.

This is by no means a great movie – it sputters a bit in the middle, and some of the physical comedy is just too over-the-top – but it’s entertaining enough to pass some time with the kids on a holiday morning, sipping hot cocoa and munching on cookies. Jingle All the Way does an okay job lampooning the very real holiday toy craze, as the must-have-it shopping competition escalates into the zaniest of antics. But the most appealing aspect of the story is its third act, when things shift toward a message about the importance of family and what the spirit of giving is all about. As befits a Christmas movie, Jingle All the Way wraps up nicely with a bow on top.

Video

Jingle All the Way – Family Fun Edition is presented on a single Blu-ray disc, in 1080p in its original 1.85:1 widescreen format. Just like the film, the high-def transfer is about average in quality. The biggest offender is a fair bit of edge enhancement noticeable from start to finish. There’s also a minimal amount of grain throughout. On the other hand, the picture is fairly sharp and with good detail, and colors are naturally vibrant. And given the amount of scenes in toy stores, there’s plenty of that color to go around. Contrast is also good, with deep black levels and excellent balance.

Audio

The main audio presentation is English in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. It’s big, loud and boisterous, which is fitting for a movie about excessive holiday consumerism, particularly since the object of desire, Turbo-Man, is an action hero of sorts. This surround mix will make good use of every aspect of a 5.1 sound system, with satisfying low end, good use of the rear channels for atmospheric and directional effect and clear dialogue from the front. To nit-pick, there are a few moments when the levels get out of hand and you might need to adjust your volume, but even then every line is audible. Finally, the film’s sometimes-obnoxious score makes good use of the front soundstage. Overall, the audio surpasses expectations for a lackluster holiday film.

Audio is also available in French and Spanish in Dolby Digital 5.1, while subtitles are offered in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin and Thai.

Special Features

Jingle All the Way – Family Fun Edition is a little light on extras. First, there’s the extended version of the film, which on the cover claims to include an extra 20 minutes of footage but actually only runs a few minutes longer than the theatrical cut. You can branch seamlessly to the previously deleted content, or just watch the theatrical cut. Then there’s a trio of child-friendly featurettes:

• The Making of a Hero: about 15 minutes on Turbo-Man himself, getting into his costume, what he can do, building the actual Turbo-Man suit and some stuff on the film’s special effects.
• Super Kids: running just short of 10 minutes, this cute featurette presents some kids talking about their opinions of what a superhero should be like, or what kind of superhero they’d like to be.
• Turbo-Man – Behind the Mask: also short of 10 minutes, this one gets into more about Turbo-Man, this time in a mockumentary looking at the actor who played him in the fictional TV series within the movie.

Final Thoughts

Jingle All the Way is no holiday classic, nor is it a highlight of Schwarzenegger’s career. But it is a mostly enjoyable romp for the whole family, delivering a message for all of those parents who go way too far to try to please their snot-nosed kids with the latest super toy. As for the Blu-ray presentation, let’s just say no one will be risking trampling mobs to get a hold of this one.