Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning to a genre that gave him a perennial hit, and he’s finally playing the character he was always meant to play. Christmas movies traditionally come in bright and cheery packaging, but there’s now also a strange tradition of filmmakers deciding the holidays need more action. The earliest examples are classic action movies that just happen to take place on Christmas, like Die Hard and every Shane Black movie. Lately, there have been more movies where Santa himself gets in on the action. David Harbour’s Violent Night was a big enough hit that it’s got a sequel coming. Dwayne The Rock Johnson traded in Fast and Furious‘ big wheels for elf ears on Red One. Amazon must have liked what they got out of Red One, because the teaser for their latest Christmas movie just landed, and it’s got two generations of action stars to tell their Christmas story.
Amazon MGM’s The Man With the Bag just dropped its first trailer down the chimney. Directed by Adam Shankman, the movie follows Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Santa Claus enlisting a thief named Vance, Reacher’s Alan Ritchson, from his naughty list to help track down an Elf, played by Awkwafina, who has stolen his magic bag of presents. The trailer features the former Governator ice skating, eating cookies, and, in a scene reminiscent of Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause, introducing himself using his many names, though he sticks the joke’s landing with something original. You can watch the trailer below:
An Original Unoriginal Comedy
The Man With the Bag looks like it will lean on Schwarzenegger’s charm and comedy, but it also looks like it may be leaning on some other holiday movies for its hooks. Amazon’s Red One featured an elf teaming up with a thief from the naughty list to get a kidnapped Santa back before Christmas. The Man with the Bag flips it and has Santa teaming up with a thief from the naughty list to get his stolen bag back from an elf before Christmas. I’ve heard of studios going back to the well with a premise, but barely two years later is kind of pushing it. Especially when you consider that Santa Claus: The Movie beat them both to the milk and cookies. In the 1985 film, Dudley Moore plays a disillusioned elf named Patch who leaves the North Pole and takes some of Santa’s magic with him. He partners with a crooked toy company executive played by an unhinged John Lithgow to create a candy cane that allows people to fly, but also has the potential to explode when exposed to heat. Santa and Patch have to reunite and work together to solve the crisis. And yes, the film has very little to do with its title.
Originality may not be this movie’s strong suit, but it’s got a strong cast with its two muscle-bound leads. The movie almost feels like a holiday action genre handoff, with Schwarzenegger giving Ritchson the gift of his blessing. The movie does have a murderer’s row of comedic talent beyond Awkwafina. It features performances from Community‘s Ken Jeong, 30 Rock‘s Jane Krakowski, and Saturday Night Live‘s Kyle Mooney. So the movie probably has more jokes. It’s just being a grinch by not giving them to us in the trailer.
For Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Man with the Bag marks his return to a subgenre where he is beloved. Jingle All The Way became a staple of holiday movie marathons after its release in 1996. Schwarzenegger’s Howard Langston and a deranged postal employee, comedian Sinbad, battle across Minneapolis to secure an action figure for his son before Christmas. The movie featured a who’s who of comedy vets, including Phil Hartman as Howard Langston’s neighbor and Rita Wilson as Langston’s wife. The movie would also feature pre-Star Wars Jake Lloyd in one of his few other acting roles outside of The Phantom Menace. We hope The Man With the Bag at least has a Sinbad cameo.
The Man with the Bag, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Ritchson, and Awkwafina, hits Amazon Prime Video December 2nd.
Got a favorite Christmas action movie? Tell us about it in the comments below!