The Story:
It's just days before Christmas, and all Jamie Langston (Jake Lloyd) wants for Christmas is a Turbo Man action figure. As do millions of other children his age. Jamie's dad, Howie (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has been so wrapped up in his work that he forgot to get one. So Howie's wife Liz (Rita Wilson) sends him out on a mad hunt for a Turbo Man. And what a mad hunt it is. If you've ever seen clips of the actual toy store frenzy at Christmas when the Cabbage Patch Kids hit the market in the 1980s, you'll know just how real the disgraceful behavior is of the parents in this movie. It lends itself to slapstick humor that is so wrong it's right. Howie's biggest rival becomes equally determined mailman Myron (Sinbad). The two start a high-speed chase through the world of toy manufacturing to get their hands on ONE Turbo Man. They face off against Ninja Santas in a toy factory, beat up midgets dressed as elves, enlist the help of a mall Santa (Jim Belushi), raid a radio station whose DJ (Martin Mull) is giving away one free Turbo Man, fend off a runaway deer, and invade a holiday parade while being chased by a police officer (Robert Conrad). At the same time, Howie's son is quickly growing more and more disappointed in his never-present dad, and Howie's wife is being hit on by Howie's annoying neighbor, Ted (the late Phil Hartman). And as Christmas comes crashing down around them, it becomes clear that only one man can solve this problem…Turbo Man! And guess who accidentally ends up behind the mask?

There are no heartstring-pulling moments in this film as in most family holiday films. It's pure goofy fun throughout, implausible at times, and Arnie makes his famous silly faces a lot, but everything about the movie is just charming and often laugh-out-loud funny. And a cast of leads and cameos doesn't get much better than this one. Also, there are some great pop Christmas tunes—and for those who don't like to miss a moment of a movie, stick around for a quick clip after the credits roll (although it's by far nothing spectacular).

The DVD

Video:
The 1:85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio, enhanced for widescreen TVs, is impressive for what looks like a pretty straightforward release. There's a hint of grain, particularly in progressive scan, but the image itself has fine color, excellent depth to the image, and just a few signs of specks, dirt and wear on the print.

Sound:
The 5.1 surround sound is a total blast, with some major head circling sound effects throughout, and a deep, solid bass. There is also an English surround option and a French language track.

Extras:
Not much here. You have the options of English or Spanish subtitles. The original theatrical trailer is included. It's not good quality—it's dark and grainy. There's a section called "The Cast" that is simply text bios for Arnold, Sinbad, and Phil Hartman. The menu itself uses a little Christmas tree as a selector.

Final Thoughts:
Jingle All the Way is your standard Arnold Schwarzenegger film—not brilliant, simply fun, exciting, and enjoyable. But this time around, Arnie gets into the holiday spirit, and your belly is sure to shake like a—well, you know. Although not big on extras, this DVD presentation offers a worthy widescreen transfer of the film with a slamming 5.1 surround audio track.