Thirty years after fighting Sinbad for a Turbo Man doll in Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger is stepping into the boots of Santa Claus himself. It is also his first live-action film role since 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate. When a disgruntled, rogue elf played by Awkwafina steals Santa's magic toy bag right before Christmas Eve, Santa has to pull off a counter-heist to save the holiday.

To get the job done, Santa tracks down Vance (Alan Ritchson), a skilled former thief sitting squarely on the Naughty List. Vance pulls together a crew of criminal misfits, alongside some backup from elves and reindeer, to get the bag back. The supporting cast is stacked with comedy veterans, including Ken Jeong, Jane Krakowski, Liza Koshy, and Kyle Mooney. With Adam Shankman (who directed The Pacifier and Hairspray) at the helm and a script by Allan Rice, the teaser trailer points toward a broad, physical buddy-comedy that pokes fun at the massive physical presence of its two leads.

Because the film does not release until December 2, full scene-by-scene content breakdowns aren't out yet [2]. However, the MPA's official rating—PG for action and some suggestive references—combined with the creative team's track record gives a clear blueprint of what to expect [1, 6].

First, consider the Alan Ritchson factor. Parents who know Ritchson from Prime Video's Reacher know that show is decidedly for adults (even creator Lee Child has noted the series is "not fit for family consumption") [6]. The Man with the Bag is a hard pivot into family territory [6]. Ritchson is also a producer on the movie and has been vocal on his YouTube channel, InstaChurch, about wanting to participate in stories with redemptive themes [2]. The core arc here—a career criminal given a second chance by Santa himself—fits right into that lane [2].

Second, look at director Adam Shankman's history with family action-comedies like The Pacifier and Bedtime Stories [4, 6]. "Action" in a Shankman PG movie means kinetic stunt work, heist-movie tropes played for laughs, and big guys getting knocked through festive scenery rather than gritty violence. "Some suggestive references" in a film packing Ken Jeong, Jane Krakowski, and Awkwafina usually translates to fast-talking innuendo and winking adult jokes designed to fly over the heads of 7-year-olds while keeping parents awake on the couch.

At 1 hour and 51 minutes, the runtime is a bit beefy for a straightforward Christmas comedy [2, 3]. It will likely click best for elementary and middle schoolers (around ages 7 to 12) who have the stamina for a nearly two-hour plot and think the visual gag of two giant action stars squeezing down chimneys or bickering with elves is hilarious. You can compare how other seasonal picks stack up by checking our best movies for kids list, or browse our digital guide for elementary school for more age-specific context.

Since The Man with the Bag won't hit queues until December, or if you want a double-feature once it drops, these movies deliver the same ingredients: physical comedy, holiday logistics gone wrong, or a solid family heist.

If the main draw is seeing Schwarzenegger in festive mode, go back to his 1996 holiday staple [4, 6]. Arnold plays an overworked dad tearing through Minneapolis on Christmas Eve to find a sold-out action figure, squaring off against a frantic postal worker played by Sinbad and a shady Santa ring. It is loud, absurd, 90s slapstick at its finest, and a fun piece of context before watching Arnold graduate to playing the big guy in red [3, 6].

If the hook for your kid is the high-stakes mission to save Christmas before sunrise, this Aardman Animations gem is one of the sharpest holiday movies ever made. It treats Santa's delivery operation like a high-tech military heist, complete with stealth elves and a mile-wide sleigh. When one gift gets left behind, Santa's clumsy youngest son, Arthur, teams up with his grumpy Grandsanta to deliver it the old-fashioned way. The pacing is relentless and the writing is genuinely clever.

For kids drawn to the "Naughty List thief trying to go good" premise, DreamWorks' The Bad Guys nails the criminal-redemption arc with incredible visual style. A crew of anthropomorphic animal outlaws tries to pull off the ultimate scam by pretending to become model citizens, only for their leader to realize he actually likes being good. It serves as a great primer on heist movie tropes—the safecracker, the master of disguise, the getaway driver—that kids will spot again in The Man with the Bag.

Before Schwarzenegger and Ritchson take their crack at a tougher, action-oriented St. Nick, Kurt Russell set the modern standard here. Two siblings accidentally crash Santa's sleigh in Chicago and have to help him round up his reindeer and recover his lost hat and bag of toys before morning. It has a similar "race against the clock with a slightly gruff Santa" energy, including a memorable sequence where Santa gets booked into a city jail.

Build a holiday heist and action comedy movie list for your family

The Santa Factor: Because the entire plot hinges on Santa Claus being a real guy who nonetheless needs to hire a professional criminal to retrieve his stolen magic bag from a rogue elf, this sits firmly in the "Santa as an action-movie character" camp [2, 3]. For kids who are right on the bubble of figuring out the Santa myth, or younger siblings who take Santa lore very literally, seeing the Terminator play a stressed-out St. Nick working with a thief is worth a quick heads-up—or a casual reminder that movie-Santas operate by different rules.

If your family plans to queue this up in December, the heist-and-redemption setup gives you a couple of fun angles to talk about over popcorn:

Q: When does The Man with the Bag come out, and where can we stream it?

The Man with the Bag will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Wednesday, December 2, 2026 [2, 3]. It is skipping a traditional theatrical run and going straight to streaming worldwide [2, 5].

Q: Why is The Man with the Bag rated PG?

The MPA rated the film PG for "action and some suggestive references" [1, 3]. While full content reviews won't be available until its December 2 release, the rating indicates comedic stunt sequences, heist chaos, and mild adult humor rather than intense violence or profanity [2].

Q: Is The Man with the Bag connected to Jingle All the Way?

No, it is a standalone story, though it marks Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to the Christmas comedy genre 30 years after 1996's Jingle All the Way [2, 6]. Instead of playing a frantic dad, Schwarzenegger plays Santa Claus [3, 6].

Q: What age is The Man with the Bag best for?

Based on its PG rating, heist plot, and 111-minute runtime, the movie is poised to land best with kids ages 7 and up [1, 2]. Preschoolers and younger elementary kids may find the nearly two-hour runtime long or miss the buddy-comedy banter, while tweens and middle schoolers will get the jokes and the action-star parodies [1, 2].

The Man with the Bag shapes up to be a big, loud, crowd-pleasing December watch for families who prefer comedy and stunt work over sentimental hallmark snowfalls. Seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson trade one-liners with Awkwafina and Ken Jeong gives parents plenty to enjoy alongside their elementary and middle schoolers. If you are mapping out your winter watchlist by age, check out our digital guide for middle school or our best shows for kids list to round out the rest of the holiday break.