In Minneapolis, Howard Langston [Larry the Cable Guy] is a workaholic mattress salesman who loves his wife Liz and their nine-year-old son Jamie [Gracyn Shinyei] nicknamed Little G, but rarely finds time for them. After missing Jamie's karate class graduation due to being pulled over by Officer Hummel, Howard resolves to redeem himself by fulfilling his Christmas wish for a Turbo Man action figure — the hottest toy on television — even though Liz had asked him to buy it two weeks earlier, a detail he had forgotten.
On Christmas Eve, Howard's hunt for the toy turns chaotic as every store shelves the figure, and he finds himself in a fierce rivalry with Myron Larabee, a postal worker dad who shares the same goal. In a desperate move, he attempts to buy a figure from a counterfeit ring run by con artists dressed in Santa suits, triggering a massive warehouse brawl that ends with him narrowly evading arrest by posing as an undercover officer. Exhausted and short on fuel, he phones home from Mickey's Diner, trying to tell Liz the truth, but Jamie answers and keeps nagging him about promises, reminding him that the Holiday Wintertainment Parade is approaching. Howard's anger gives way to guilt as Jamie scolds him for not keeping his word.
Howard and Myron then overhear a radio station advertising a competition for a Turbo Man doll. The ensuing scramble to the station leads to a chaotic showdown; the DJ reveals the prize is actually a Turbo Man gift certificate. The police arrive, but Myron threatens officers by pretending one of his packages is a bomb, allowing the two to slip away.
When Howard returns home, he discovers Ted putting the star on the family's Christmas tree and attempts to steal the Turbo Man doll Ted bought for his son Johnny, only to back off at Liz's confrontation. Liz leaves with Jamie and the kids to attend the parade, while Howard lingers behind, determined to join them. After dropping off Jamie and Johnny, Ted again tries to woo Liz, but she rejects him. Howard, intent on keeping his promise to Jamie, heads to the parade and is chased by Officer Hummell once more, ending up hiding inside a storage room where he’s mistaken for Turbo Man. As Turbo Man, he seizes the chance to present the special edition figure to Jamie, but they’re confronted by Myron in his Dementor costume.
A high-tension chase follows, with Myron grabbing the toy from Jamie, only to be cornered by the police as Howard rescues his son. Howard then reveals himself to his family and apologizes for his past failings. The toy is returned to Jamie by Officer Hummell, who—moved by the moment—lets Jamie decide to give the toy to Myron for his own son. The entire parade bursts into praise for Howard as Jamie concedes that his father’s efforts were the best present he could receive.
In a post-credits scene, Howard finishes decorating the Christmas tree later that night, and Liz asks what he got her. The moment freezes as Howard realizes, alarmed, that he forgot to buy a gift, and the screen fades to black with a sharp, comedic sting.
> "What did you get me?"
