The annual scramble to buy this year’s most in-demand toy for your younger relatives in time for Christmas can be seriously stressful (as anyone who tried to get their hands on a Furby in the late ‘90s will know all too well), but it’s never been more chaotic than Howard Langston’s quest to track down a Turbo-Man figure in Jingle All the Way.
The 1996 Christmas favourite stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Howard, a mattress salesman who has been spending too much time working and not enough focusing on his family in the run up to Christmas.
After missing out on an important milestone for his young son Jamie (played by Jake Lloyd, who would go on to star as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Howard vows to make amends by buying him his dream Christmas present: an action figure of his favourite cartoon superhero, Turbo-Man.
By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, though, the toys seem to have sold out everywhere, prompting Howard to attempt some increasingly outlandish schemes in order to try and get his hands on a Turbo-Man, competing against Myron, another dad who is trying to track down the must-have toy for his son.
Howard’s adventures see him fighting with conmen running a counterfeit toy operation, racing to a radio station studio to try and take part in their Turbo-Man competition, and commandeering the local Christmas parade, as well as trying to thwart his neighbour Ted (Phil Hartman), who has his eyes on his wife Liz (Rita Wilson).
Inspired by the rush for sought-after Christmas gifts like Power Rangers figures and Cabbage Patch Kids in the ‘80s and ‘90s (the former toys sparked a series of violent customer incidents across the United States when they were first released in 1983, known as the Cabbage Patch riots), the movie was produced by Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Colombus.
If you’ve missed out on this light-hearted Christmas adventure so far, or fancy revisiting a festive favourite, here’s how you can watch Jingle All The Way this holiday season.
Where can I watch Jingle All the Way?
It has not yet been confirmed whether the film will be airing on TV this year, but you can certainly track down Jingle All the Way on several streaming platforms.
The film is currently available to watch on Disney+ as part of the streamer’s extensive Christmas offering, which also includes movies like Home Alone and The Santa Clause.
You can also rent it from Amazon Prime Video for £3.49 or buy it for £5.99, or head to Apple TV+, where Jingle All the Way is available to rent for £3.49 or buy for £7.99.
If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Film hub for all the latest news.
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