Directed by:
Brian LevantScreenplay:
Randy KornfieldCinematography:
Victor J. KemperComposer:
David NewmanCast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad, Martin Mull, Jake Lloyd, Jim Belushi, Laraine Newman, Justin Chapman, Harvey Korman (more)Plots(1)
Arnold Schwartzenegger stars as Howard Langston, an overworked mattress salesman who has been neglecting his family of late; in an attempt to redeem himself, he promises his son whatever he wants for Christmas. Turns out that his heart's desire is a TurboMan doll, coveted by every other kid this year as well, and Howard quickly forgets about his promise until Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, all the stores are already sold out, and Howard embarks upon a wild goose chase throughout the streets of Minneapolis, encountering some wacky characters along the way. These include a postal worker of questionable sanity (Sinbad), a ticket-happy police officer (Robert Conrad), and a con-artist Santa Claus (James Belushi). As Howard's hunt drags on, his bachelor neighbor (Phil Hartman) starts to move in on his wife (Rita Wilson). (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
Arnold, you should stick to Collateral Damage instead of this. You’ll never be a comedian, even if you had a red nose implanted on your face and dressed permanently as a clown.
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Yes, it’s a total guilty pleasure, but it’s the kind you loved as a kid and can still vividly remember watching. I can even recall the couch I was sitting on the day after Christmas when I first saw it. And honestly, I’m surprised it still works its magic after all these years. This is absolutely Arnold’s movie — he’s hilariously terrible in a way that only makes him more lovable. That salute from his on-screen kid in the final scene? Pure gold. It’s the moment Arnold officially became the ultimate all-American hero.
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Well, this is pure bollocks, though especially in the first half there are some very successful moments that can entertain to some extent. Actually, I might have given a higher rating if the filmmakers had done away with the overly action-packed and at the same time rather boring ending, when Arnold in the Turboman suit unsuccessfully parodies Superman, Batman and other comic book heroes. It should be added that I definitely don't consider Arnie to be one of the weaknesses of this film, on the contrary, his presence alone improves many passages. 60%
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I like Arnold, and even though this is a really big nonsense that is incredibly predictable, thanks to him I was able to enjoy it at least a bit. It's not a great movie because you really know everything from the first five minutes, but maybe the ending with the real Turboman is well done and B-movie-style action-packed.
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