Plot: What’s it about?
Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a driven businessman who always goes the extra mile for his customers, even at the cost of his life at home. He isn’t a bad person, he loves his wife and son, but he doesn’t always provide as much attention at home, because of his commitment to his work. He does provide a lush home and all the possessions one could want, but his family wants more than that from him. His son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) does want one toy this Christmas however, the popular Turbo Man action figure and of course, his father promises to deliver. But the figure is in high demand and stores sell out without seconds, as Howard learns when he tries to acquire one and winds up empty handed. Now he must go on a quest to track down the toy, but in the process, will he learn his lesson about the importance of family?
I think we’ve all been in that undesirable spot, unable to find the most popular toy as the days to Christmas count down. If you think you’ve gone to extremes to land those impossible to find gifts, you must not have seen Jingle All the Way. These days, most holiday oriented films either load up on melodrama or take the sharp satiric route, both of which usually lead to dull, mediocre pictures. Jingle All the Way has some melodrama and some satire, but balances them well and admits that while Christmas should be about family, all too often it doesn’t seem as such. The movie is by no means a classic, but it is a fun watch around the holidays and a humorous Arnold performance. This Blu-ray release houses the extended cut of the movie, plus most of the extras from the DVD edition, as minor as they might be. In any case, the movie itself is fun and worth a look every holiday season, so Jingle All the Way earns a solid recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
Jingle All the Way is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is another great transfer from Fox, one which retains a film-like texture, but still delivers a top notch presentation. The grain here is natural and since it isn’t tampered with, there is no DNR or other remnants of a lackluster clean-up effort. The result is a clean, sharp image that is impressive, but doesn’t quite reach the levels of the best transfers out there. The colors are bright, contrast is accurate, and depth is more than solid. The detail here puts the DVD to shame, but doesn’t always have the kind of subtle touches we’d like to see. Even so, this is a great looking treatment and fans should be satisfied.
Audio: How does it sound?
This might be a family movie, but it is still an Arnold movie, which means the DTS HD 5.1 option packs a mean punch. The surrounds are alive and kickin’ here from start to finish, with ample power in numerous scenes. This leads to some potent audio moments, some of which overpower the other elements. This can lead to some volume adjustments at times, but for the most part, the audio is solid. As I said, there is ample power, but the dialogue usually fares well and the music sounds good too. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes three brief, promotional featurettes.
