REVIEW:
There’s no doubt about it, this is not a very smart movie. It’s not what most people would consider a very good movie. But as a guilty pleasure film, it kind of works. For one thing, it is worth appreciating that this is a Christmas movie about something other than Santa and saving Christmas. This is a movie about something real… having to get a last minute toy for your kid. And the hijinks that Arnold Scheartznegger needs to go through in order to find this toy, are surprisingly kind of funny. Sometimes.
When the movie is realistic and grounded, it works. So all of the things with the nosy neighbor, (played by Phil Hartman,) and his unfriendly competitiveness with Arnie, for example, are a blast. What doesn’t work as well is when the movie gets carried away with regards to outlandish mess… like bomb threats and explosions, and a climax that is way over the top. But the story here gives us something different, which is nice, and the constant physical humor (including a fight against a warehouse of Santa’s,) keeps us entertained at all times.