Every Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Ranked Worst To Best

Once considered one of the low points of Schwarzenegger's nineties pivot to comedy, Jingle All the Way is today something of a festive cult favourite. That evolution should in no small part be credited to Schwarzenegger, whose unique screen presence elevates what could have otherwise been a generic holiday cartoon.

Its appeal lies in the fact that Arnold doesn't really belong in the scenario; he is simply too larger than life to play the part of an absent-minded middle-class dad. And yet, it's something that Jingle All the Way is all too aware of, as it constructs elaborate action-esque scenarios for Schwarzenegger's character, Howard Langston, to get caught up in. There's a cringe-inducing mall chase, a fight with a reindeer, and even a superhero battle to cap things off.

It's dumb, it's nakedly cynical, but even so, there's something admirable in how the film offers no illusions about what Christmas has morphed into. Is it sad that holiday traditions can be boiled down to "buy me Turboman or go to hell!"? Well, yeah, but that's kind of how it's been for a good long while now. The secret here is that it's better to just give in and embrace the chaos - which is also, coincidentally, the best way of enjoying Jingle All the Way.