Movie Info
Movie Name: Jack Frost
Studio: Warner Bros.
Genre(s): Drama/Family/Seasonal
Release Date(s): December 11, 1998
MPAA Rating: PG
I remember sledding with my dad…the snowman
Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) is a musician on the verge of making it big. His son Charlie (Joseph Cross) and his wife Gabby (Kelly Preston) seem to be coming in second as Jack pursues his dream. When a Christmas accident occurs, Jack is killed on a mountain road. A year passes and life changes for Gabby and Charlie. When magic brings Jack back in the form of a snowman, Jack finds he has a chance to be the father he never was to Charlie and make amends for his past.
Directed by Troy Miller, Jack Frost was a holiday film and panned by critics. The movie was further confused by a straight-to-video horror film of the same title which was released the previous year with a similar plot.
I wish he’d freakin’ melt him
Jack Frost is just completely absurd. The movie is going ok with Keaton as a somewhat likable (if not unrealistically cool dad), but then the whole thing just goes crazy with the random magical harmonica snowman thing. In one of the better scenes in the movie, Michael Keaton’s character even says “what the hell is going on” (before scaring the crap out of Henry Rollins).
Once the snowman does show up, it turns ridiculous. The snowman manages to make it around town, snow ball fight with kids (which apparently is what bullies do in the town), and snowboarding. This is of course all magic and magical, which is such an easy write off. I respect the other Jack Frost more in that it at least was some crazy experimental chemical that caused a living snowman.
Yep, nothin’ creepy about this…
The one positive thing about the movie is that the story doesn’t really end that happy. Through the whole movie, I wondered how Michael Keaton could come back by the end of the film. I imaged the corpse of Michael Keaton rising from the dead…but they went with the magic wearing off and Keaton returning to death. I still think it would have been cool to see the zombie Keaton.
Jack Frost is bad. I am a little freaked out by the snowman so kids might be also. I found the horror Jack Frost movie more entertaining in the badness of the film. It is too bad that this snowman is more frightening.
