Jack Frost (1998)

Absolutely Fantastic

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Jack Frost (1998): Dir: Troy Miller / Cast: Michael Keaton, Joseph Cross, Kelly Preston, Mark Addy, Henry Rollins: Depressing family film with a character given the title name. What kind of nit-pick bullshit is that? Could they not give him a name of more normal presentation? It just sounds like cruel parenting. The concept fails because the magic harmonica is never explained and just sounds like a dumb plot device. Instead it gets reduced to formula that becomes as much fun as a snow covered rock to the head. Michael Keaton plays Jack Frost, a musician who spends less time with his family. A nasty storm sends his car off the road and he is pronounced dead. His son plays the magic harmonica and the result is a talking snowman. We know that he will attempt to conceal him from his mother, and he will eventually melt giving an ending of all the quality of yellow snow. Director Troy Miller has fun with the visuals but that is pretty much all the film has going for it. Keaton is a likable comic actor but this is far beneath his talent. In flat supporting roles are Joseph Cross as his son. Kelly Preston is cardboard as his wife. Mark Addy has the thankless role as best friend who sticks around after the accident. One could say that he stuck around too long if he had any hint that this sh*t storm would be good. The snowman doesn't melt nearly as fast as the screenplay. Score: 2 / 10

When I was a kid, nothing got me and my friends more hyped up in anticipation than snow. Yep - glorious white snow. To us there were few other activities as fun as playing in the snow. One major problem however; I grew up in a country in which we only get about 3-4 days a year of significant snowfall, in which it would actually settle on the ground. So when there was a significant level of snowfall, we would make the utmost use of it. Snowball fights, sledding, making snow angels and of course making a snowman.Snowmen were a subject of my childhood fascination. Why? I'm not quite sure. They just have a certain magical appeal. Whenever I would see one in someone else's garden, I would always have to point it out, "Look, a snowman!". So when my friends and I heard about the movie Jack Frost, in which a snowman comes to life, we were psyched to see it. Although there already existed the 1982 animated short The Snowman which had a similar premise, I believe Jack Frost appealed to us more for several reasons:-It was a movie more of our generation.-It was live action and the snowman looks just like a real snowman we could have created ourselves.-But most importantly, the movie was called Jack Frost. When I was younger, whenever there was a frosty night, we would always say that Jack Frost is out tonight.So one weekend myself and one of my friends rented Jack Frost on video and we thought it was an absolute blast. However even at that age we thought there were some stupid moments, such as when Charlie is hanging over a wall of snow and he's supposed to be in danger, yet the drop itself is tiny; or during the sledge chase sequence when two kids just happen to have a snowball the size of a boulder on standby to stop Charlie and Jack. However the one aspect of the film we found to be the most unbelievable was in how Charlie had not got over his father's death one year on. The reason for this is that a friend of ours had recently lost his father to an illness, yet was back in school one week later, acting as he normally would. To us, Charlie isolating himself from his friends due to his father's death one year on seemed far fetched. Several years later, I saw Jack Frost again on TV one weekend and the following Monday in school, it seems half the class also watched it and were all raving about how much we loved it; discussing our favourite moments, talking about the scenes we found to be the funniest. Even my teacher had watched it over the weekend and called it - and I quote - "a wonderful film". Of course when the advent of the internet age come upon us, I found out Jack Frost is considered a terrible film and the critics trashed it. One of the biggest criticisms I hear against the movie being that the snowman is creepy, which even to this day I've never thought so. I think he looks cute, and looks just like a snowman the average kid would make.I'm probably the only person in the world who will give this film a serious appraisal but when I was younger it did strike a chord with us kids. I watched Jack Frost again several years ago with a more mature perspective and I still enjoyed it, with a pool of happy nostalgic memories coming flooding back. Rock on Jack Frost! Snow dad is better than no dad!

I just saw Nostlagia Critic review this movie.Like NC I will give him right that it was an alright movie.A man dies in a car accident, and comes back to visit his Family as a snowman.Some of the highlights are the snowman joining a snowball clash.At last the snowman must be taken up to the Mountains where he must say his goodbye to the Family.It's not any major Winter Holiday Classic, but worth a Watch anyway.The snowman is well made, and the locations are wonderful.There are thrills, drama and some laughs on the way.If you love drama and comedies from the 1990's go Watch this.So try your luck in Blockbuster or a flea market to find this movie.8/10

PLOT: Charlie Frost feels as though his father Jack doesn't give him enough attention due to the fact that he keeps forgetting to be there when he needs to the most. When Jack dies in a car accident, he is brought back to life as a snowman after his son plays a "magic" harmonica he had given Charlie. Jack then gets a second chance to be the father he should have been... MY THOUGHTS: This movie is a very heartwarming film to watch with family and especially during the holiday season (which is when it takes place). Its very entertaining and an all around good flick. If you nitpick however, you find the film to have various plot holes and to have a very strange premise. With that said however, it is still a very good watch.PROS/CONS: There is a lot of comedy in this film and it does make you laugh. Michael Keaton is good as always and his voice provided for the snowman and how he plays it is very entertaining. The film does has various story problems and the idea of it is very strange, but doesn't hold it back whatsoever.RATING: 8/10