Jack Frost (1998) Review:

From what I've read, critics think this film does absolutely nothing for them and that it was waste of their time. I'm really surprised that this particular film made no headway in becoming a classic. Although people would say this film is nothing like it, why doesn't anyone see the correlation between this film and John Carpenter's Starman (1984)? The only main difference is really the setting (a snowy environment). A man is lost in a tragic accident and is incarnated once more to give hope to his family members. Is that not the same?

Michael Keaton as Jack Frost (human form)

One reason why people blame this film for being so bad is that it uses cheesy puns that are supposed to make you laugh out loud; this is false. This movie is not supposed to be a hardcore comedy. Its puns are made to create small chuckles and to appreciate the fact the man who was no more is back to set his problems right. Michael Keaton plays Jack Frost, a father who gets sidetracked from his real passion, watching his son (played by Joseph Cross) grow up because he is too focused on kick- starting his rock band.

Sure so the name is cliché, but that's what makes it cute. Even Michael Keaton himself mocks the name. When he is in his snowman form, he says to himself, "Why me,...why a SNOWMAN? I mean, could the universe really be that unoriginal?" That made me laugh. If the main character recognizes that the name of this movie is silly then it shouldn't be as bad as everyone says. I feel that the movie's screenwriter, Mark Steven Johnson did a really nice job. Later on, he would direct Ghost Rider (2007), who I was not totally pleased with because a character as serious as Ghost Rider, should not have been so cartoonish. But here, the story of Jack Frost works well.

Joseph Cross & Kelly Preston

Another thing people bash this movie for is that it has a sappy screenplay. Like there haven't been sad movies before? This isn't new people. And how often does someone get a second chance to make up his or her life mistakes. Besides, it's not like this movie ends badly; Jack Frost rights his wrongs. It's not like he shows up just to make the audience cry. The alien who plays in Starman (1984) made audiences cry too; so what's all the hoot and holler about? As for the director of this movie, Troy Miller, I assume his career hasn't been promising when it comes to big screen movies. It's a shame some good things go nowhere.

As for the music, much of it is inserted when it comes to sequences of reflection. The only time the score of the film comes out when the camera is focused on Jack Frost (when he is a snowman). The score was created by Trevor Rabin who did a nice job but it disappoints me that I was not able to find the entire score digitally. One other thing I did not know was that the Jack Frost snowman was made by the Jim Henson company. I knew it looked like a Muppet somehow! It's a (pardon the pun) cool design and to make a movie look that good with a snowman must have been an interesting task.

As one of the very few films that are universally known by director Troy Miller, Jack Frost is a part of his better work. With screenwriter Mark Steven Johnson at his side, this film will capture the imagination with its cute story line.

Points Earned --> 8:10