I had very low expectations of Jingle All The Way. The title suggests that this film was made as a seasonal money spinner, since Jingle all the way is particularly like laughing all the way, and the jingle again reinforces that this film is about money in the pocket, not my pocket nor any other member of the movie going public, but the pocket of a manipulative producer.

        Arnold Schwazzenegger and Sinbad offer a great comic double, or at least the potential of one, but the topic of the movie is all about the commerciality of a season called ³Christmas.² So I say again, I expected the worst. But something really odd happens in this movie, at least it did to me.

        Early on in the film, Sinbad and Arnie meet at the door of a toystore on Christmas Eve. Their quest is to procure the latest victory for capitalism, a doll or should I say action figure that every child MUST have on Christmas morning, or else their lives will be invalid. Or rather the children will emotionally blackmail their parents until the parents believe they are invalid as parents.

        Sinbad tells the other parents gathered around the door of the toyshop that he is not falling for this stuff, that they are all just being manipulated and that there is a plot here to make parents feel worthless, blah, blah, blah. What a tacky speech, I thought, since it pretty much seemed to be aimed at the people sitting in the audience who had foolishly paid money to see an actor abusing people for being milked by the season, and all the while the viewers themselves are also being milked.

        Then I began to see it. This film is not a glib and tasteless movie about children who are so disgustingly spoilt that they can bribe their parents into believing that unless they have the cÎorrect gift under the tree they will end up as worthless adults. This film is not about parents who have to jump through every hoop just to prove they are as good as the neighbors. What this film is, is a biting satire. Every step, every move, every thought that comes off the screen yells to the audience DONıT DO THIS.

        Now I am not sure how many people will agree with me, and probably the people who are silly enough to go see the film arenıt looking for anything more than a chuckle at the antics of a muscle man and a comedian. But if you have a couple of hours and a few dollars to waste, go see this film. See if you donıt agree with me. Never was there such biting satire so well camouflaged in the traditional trappings of a Hollywood money spinner. This film helped me to adjust my sights to the reason for the season. And although I thought it was a pretty pathetic movie, I liked the message.

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