10 Best Jingle All the Way Moments
2. Howard Becomes Turbo Man
This is the big moment the whole film has been leading up to. Howard, donning the red and gold suit (face completely unobstructed by a see-through visor yet unrecognisable to absolutely everybody), causes mayhem. Howard has as much control over his jetpack as he does his work/life balance.
Myron’s inability to control the jetpack while his son dangles from what appears to be a fifty-storey building is the absurd cherry on this silly slice of Christmas pie.
1. I’m Not About to Hit a Santa Claus
You know when you were little and all you put on your Christmas list was the chance to see your dad go on a rampage and take on a hundred mall Santas?
Throughout Jingle All the Way, there is only one mention to Howard’s less than average physique – a snidey aside from Ted: ‘let’s see you bench press your way out of this one’. But, standing about a foot taller than most of the other actors, with muscles bulging through his cashmere overcoat, Howard cuts quite a figure. So, it is quite funny when the director chose to acknowledge Arnie’s strength with this little skit.
He might feel unable to punch a Santa, but he can pull back the elastic on a fake beard and snap it back with such force that Jim Belushi’s disgruntled St Nick is propelled into an outrageous backflip that would make his brother proud. Perfect Yuletide tussling.
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Which moment from Jingle All the Way do you enjoy the most? What is the most quotable line in your opinion? “Put the cookie down… now!” is surely one of them. Let everyone know in the comments below, and be sure to follow @thefilmagazine across social media – including Facebook and BlueSky – for updates on more insightful movie lists.
