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Jingle All the Way

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8.

  • Is it any good?

    1.0

  • Common Sense says

    Ahnold terminates the holiday spirit.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 8 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Harold yells at his son and neglects him but eventually redeems himself by dressing up like a superhero and procuring the prized holiday gift. Jamie learns that the gift is less important than the love of his father, but only after parents and kids obsess over getting the gift.

  • Violence & scariness:

    Lots of punching, kicking, threats, and one explosion. While pervasive, the violence is comic, and no one actually gets hurt.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Some brief kissing between parents. Ted is constantly hitting on Liz. Some unwitting double entendre by Jamie.

  • Language:

    Liz utters "damn" once, but other than that, it's mostly clean.

  • Consumerism:

    Gumby, the Cat in the Hat, and Crayola are all prominently displayed during a holiday parade. Two dads go to extremes for a toy.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Harold and Myron sneak liquor into their coffee after a long day of toy hunting. In a fantasy sequence, Jamie drinks liquor from the bottle.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Jingle All the Way was written by Heather Boerner

Parents need to know that this film offers nothing in the way of genuine family fun. Young kids may enjoy the action, car chases, and explosions, but they aren't worth it for the miserable messages about consumerism and buying your child's love.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the movie's message. Is Christmas really all about getting THE toy? How do parents make time for their kids and show their love without gifts? What are your favorite things to do, especially during the holidays, that don't require spending money?
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More on Jingle All the Way

What’s the Story?

Harold Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a workaholic dad who doesn't spend enough time with his son, Jamie. In order to win back Jamie's love, Harold offers to buy him anything he wants for Christmas. Jamie knows what he wants immediately. In an excited voice, he recites the TV ad for the new TurboMan toy. Just days before Christmas, Harold sets out to find the toy, but it's sold out everywhere. He roams from store to store, chases ping pong balls for toy lotteries, visits a creepy shop of stolen and broken gifts, and rushes to a radio station to try to win a TurboMan contest. Along the way, he becomes rivals with a mail carrier dad, Myron (Sinbad), who quite literally goes postal. In an even ickier subplot, a womanizing next door neighbor (Phil Hartman) uses his good-dad persona to try to seduce Harold's wife, Liz (Rita Wilson).
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Is It Any Good?

If you don't have to watch Jingle All the Way, don't. It's everything that's wrong with the holiday season: It's competitive, it's stressful, it's desperate, and it's all about consumerism. In short, there's no one in this movie for kids to look up to. And what that means is that, despite being about getting toys, this is a movie for adults who've been in Harold's position and who desperately want to be their sons' heroes. But it's not fun to watch for anyone.
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Movie Details

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Director: Brian Levant
Run time: 85 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/21/1996, DVD release: 10/12/2004
MPAA Rating: PG for action violence, mild language and some thematic elements

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Poison Ivey
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Negative message

    Let me set things straight. It isn't funny.

    Well, in science class we were supposed to be working on our element projects but the computers arent working so it was either watch this or work on chapter 3 vocabulary so the choice was obvious. I thought this movie to be very vulgar, unrealistically rehearsed, and stupid. I'm very sissapointed because not once did I open my mouth and laugh. So yeah, dont waste your time on this. But hey, dont get me wrong, it's better than sitting in a small room reading communistic books for three long days. ~ P.I.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    mkalv
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 4.0

    Funny ans cool.

    I do not agree with Common Senses review. It was funny and worthwhile. Who knew that Arnold Swarchneggar could be funny?

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Poetic
    Lives in Minnesota
    I rate this title on and give it 5.0

    The Common Sense Review Made Me Sick!!!

    I read the CS review... I gasped... I checked the movie title... I gasped... I had no idea that only yesterday I had exposed my self to "commercialism", and "violence"... This is without doubt THE BEST X-mas movie I have ever seen... No... I do not have the mentality of "young children"... This movie was just an all-around feel GOOD, heart WARMING, HILARIOUS movie!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Adult Reviewer
    tommysportsgirl
    Lives in Florida
    I rate this title on and give it 3.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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