alexisvsims I can't believe this film flopped at the box office. This movie is so great!!! I saw it when it originally came out in 1998 and when it finally came out on VCR, I watched this movie over and over and over and over and over and over again. It came on the Disney Channel last night and I freaked. I adored the film when I was a child, but now that I am older I appreciate the message and I cried twice. It is so adoring. A little boy is devastated by the loss of his father and he gets a few last days with him as a snow man. Both Charlie and Gabby get to say goodbye to Jack and really tell each other I love you and I am always with you. How can you not like this movie?! Some people say the acting is flat, but it's so real and raw to see a completely normal family and normal kids. I think it's great. And some think the dad coming back as a snowman is lame, but it's great how he gets to see his father again no matter what form he takes. "Snowdad is better than no dad." That is awesome. I highly recommend this movie for adults and children during the holidays and during the middle of the year. It is really GREAT!!!!

SimonJack Winter scenes, sleds and snowmen in a movie usually mean it's intended as a holiday film. Warner Brothers released "Jack Frost" the second week of December 1998, so it would be playing around the country over the Christmas school break. But all the trappings don't quite make this a Christmas film. Billed as a comedy, drama and family film, it is a combination bizarre fairy tale and dark cartoon. The parental guidance rating is appropriate. Any number of kids who have lost a parent, especially boys and their dads (to death, divorce or desertion) may find this film a little unsettling. No amount of attempted humor – especially in this bizarre way – can assuage the loss or hurt a child may live with because of a missing parent. The idea that a snowman can pass as a surrogate dad for a time is truly bizarre. The acting by Michael Keaton, Joseph Cross, Kelly Preston and others of the cast can't offset the morbid aspects of the plot. The animation work for the snowman, and special effects photography and CGI can't compensate for the off-color screenplay. The attempted humor fails for the most part, so all that remains leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. I didn't give it the lowest rating simply because of the skill and art work in the animation. This isn't a movie I'd recommend at any time, especially not during the Christmas-New Year's holiday.

stevemagistad My two boys (12 & 16) and my wife and I just watched this together over the holidays. This movie deserves better treatment than it's been given by the critics and by many reviewers on this site. The characters and the character development are really pretty good, and this drives the rest of the movie. There is the required (and implied) suspension of disbelief about a snowman coming to life, but all of this is tied into father/son, husband/wife and other relationships that I personally found believable enough to care about them. They take a little time to develop these before the fantasy part begins. There are some really nice moments here, and some layers in the relationships that matter for the story. It's not a perfect or hugely important movie - I just think it's hard to find good options like this one for the whole family and I think Jack Frost hits a really nice "sweet" spot. (Double entendre works here...) I found it very entertaining but also more emotional and "real" than I expected. Great soundtrack for a family Christmas movie, too.! I would say it's a great and safe option for kids of 6 or 7 and up, and the whole family can watch with them and not be bored.

Michael_Elliott Jack Frost (1998) *** (out of 4) Musician Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) has neglected his kid Charlie (Joseph Cross) for years and one day before Christmas he's killed in a car wreck. Flash forward a year when Charlie builds a snowman who is magically taken over by the spirit of his father and two begin to spend some quality time together. You can read just about any review out there for this film and words such as disgusting, creepy, ugly, rude and traumatizing are going to be used. I must admit that there are times when I watch movies and I just can't see what people see in them and there are times when I view a movie where I can't see why people hate them so much. Look, I agree that this kids film has a rather ugly subject in regards to a kid losing his father but for the life of me I can't figure out why there's so much hatred thrown at this film. I thought the film was very sweet, featured some good performances and I think its heart is in the right place. I really don't understand why some are taking such a strong moral clause with this film and throwing a judgment on it as to what damage it might do to kids. Really? Countless Disney films have scared young children yet no one says a word about them. E.T. scared me to death as a child but no one bashes that film. Is JACK FROST in their level? Not even close but no matter the quality I don't see the need for the moral police. Again, I thought the film was innocent enough and had a good heart. I thought Keaton did a very good job early in the film when we actually see him and I thought his vocal work as the snowman was terrific. I found him to be fun to watch and I thought the relationship between him and the son was quite good. Is JACK FROST the next IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE? Of course not but I don't see the need for calling this movie child abuse.