Jack Frost
Directed by Troy Miller
- comedy
- family
- drama
- fantasy
The story
A father who can't keep his promises dies in a car accident. One year later, he returns as a snowman, who has one final chance to put things right with his son before he is gone forever.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated winter light on snowy suburban streets, with the cheerful glow of Christmas lights and a palette that leans on white, pine green and warm red. The camerawork is conventional and family-friendly, mostly medium shots and steady coverage of living rooms, school hallways and a snow-dusted town, and the digital effects are bold and cartoonish, with the snowman's face and frosty movements rendered in an exaggerated, almost storybook way. Sound is full of seasonal music, bouncy comic underscoring and sentimental string swells, so it feels busy rather than hushed. The vibe is bittersweet holiday comedy with a tug of grief: warm, goofy and sometimes wistful. It suits a family Christmas afternoon, a lazy evening in December, or a comfort watch with kids. The tempo is brisk and episodic, with gags and sweet scenes alternating with quieter moments between a father and son. Intensity is low: the death happens offscreen in a car accident, and there is slapstick mishap, mild peril and some peril-tinged sadness, but no gore and little real menace. It is for families and anyone who wants a sentimental, silly Christmas film about a parent trying to make things right.
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