Jingle All the Way (1996)

Score: 7 / 10
Category: Movie
Platform: Netflix

One-line verdict

A straightforward, feel-good Christmas comedy that still works, even if you know exactly where it’s going.

What worked

• This felt fresh when it came out, and it’s easy to see why. There wasn’t really another Christmas movie doing this exact thing at the time.
• The cast carries it. Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing what he does best here, supported well by Rita Wilson and Jake Lloyd.
• The Christmas setup does a lot of heavy lifting. It has that warm, chaotic, feel-good energy that naturally puts it in the same emotional space as Home Alone.
• It’s a comedy, and it still gets laughs, even if some of the humour now feels a bit dated.

What broke

• The story is very straightforward. You know from the start that it’s heading toward a happy ending.
• There’s no real tension or surprise. No twists, no conspiracies, no sharp turns.
• Some parts do feel like a product of their time, which is expected for a movie that’s nearly 30 years old.

What others are saying

• This is generally remembered as a fun but simple Christmas movie rather than a classic.
• Many people view it fondly because of nostalgia, especially those who grew up with it.
• Criticism usually centres on the thin plot rather than performances or tone.

Why this worked for me

I watched this again at 42, and it hit differently. Not because it suddenly became a great movie, but because it reminded me why it worked in the first place.

It’s warm, sincere, and uncomplicated. I knew exactly how it would end, and that was fine. It even managed to get an emotional reaction out of me, probably because it’s tied to childhood memories more than storytelling ambition.

This isn’t a strong 7, but it’s a comfortable 7. Simple, dated in places, but still effective at what it sets out to do.