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Jack Frost (1979) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
An underappreciated gem, 10 August 2002

Author: pajoma from New Jersey

Among all the Rankin-Bass-Muller holiday treats, this one is an underappreciated gem. It's clearly not as well-known as several of the others, probably because it's only marginally a specifically Christmas story, is not associated with a popular Christmas carol, etc. However, in our family we like this one every bit as much as any of the others, if not more. The plot is more emotionally engrossing, the original songs are terrific, and there are some particularly appealing and fascinating characters developed. This story works successfully in different ways for different agegroups.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Every Christmas I laugh and cry as I watch this beautiful, silly movie., 28 October 2001

Author: ashleejune from Minnesota

I still cannot believe they do not play this movie on TV every year like they do Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It is just as funny and even more beautiful. I love this movie to pieces and will treasure it forever.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
My friends laugh at me, but I love it!, 5 June 2002
Author: IceBean from Knoxville, TN

I watch this thing religiously no matter what time of year it is! Ask my friends..they'll roll their eyes and say, "Yes, she really does watch it ALL the time."

~*

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There's The Rub, 6 January 2008
Author: parkerr86302 from arizona

I wish to add my voice to the chorus of approval for JACK FROST. I have watched it many times, and love it each time.

Not commented on much here is the villain, Kubla Kraus. A strange, mercurial villain for a children's show--a Russian cossack with a split personality (he talks to himself via a ventriloquist dummy) while being genuinely sinister. He is voiced by the inimitable Paul Frees.

The show's finale, ending on a note of sadness, was also unusual for a children's holiday special. Rankin/Bass gave children credit for more intelligence than producers (and even some parents) do today. The only weakness is Buddy Hackett's Groundhog character; the rest is wonderfully entertaining.

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Awesome animation!, 8 January 2007

Author: K PL from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Names like January Junction, words like kopper kaputnik, ideas like ice money ... are the epitome of creativity and originality. Amazing that an animation can contain: COMEDY (how the peasants overcome their adversities is inspiring, but comical)…DRAMA (the evil Kubla Kraus and the tight grip he has on the peasants of January Junction)…LOVE STORY (all in the name of love, Jack did everything within and outside of his power for the love of Elisa...including surrendering his own mortality. Sadly, in the end he loses to fate and reverts to his former self as a winter spirit. Still, he tenderly brushes Elisa's cheek with a soft wintry kiss before soaring high, back to his Winter World among the clouds.

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Best Rankin & Bass By FAR, 24 December 2006

Author: pinkskittle03 from United States

This is my FAVORITE stop-motion/claymation/whatever holiday special of all time. My entire family groans at me because I get so excited when these come on every year, and I LOVE Jack Frost. Why? Dummy is hilarious. Holly and the groundhog make me squeal with happiness, they're just so darn cute. The fact that the old couple uses an adorable dog and a duck to plow their fields. And call me a nerd, but I think this little cartoon is incredibly romantic. Moreso than How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days or any other crappy romantic films out there. The story is truly one that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you really empathize for Jack Frost. And the twist ending is the best, though it's quite sad. It almost makes me want to sigh.

And Jack Frost is kinda hot. There. I said it.

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A magical Christmas Fairy-tale..., 10 December 2006
Author: reglisse54 from United States

Jack Frost is one of my favorite animation...it puts you in the Christmas spirit with its glitters and icy colors...without mentioning the beautiful snow...it is so magical and beautiful. It also is romantic since Jack Frost decides to become human to conquer a beautiful human girl... The characters are beautifully created, with tons of imagination, their costumes are amazing, the voices too really are charismatic; the scenes are unbelievably unique and creative; it is a moving and humorous fairy-tale... Even though I no longer am a child, I each year look forward to watching this beautiful animation during Christmas!

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
"It's Just What I've Always Wanted. It's Perfectly Right. It's Just What I've Always Wanted. A Christmas Delight.", 13 December 2005

Author: (robocoptng986127@aol.com) from U.S.A

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Today was a very special and fateful day. It was February 2: Groundhog Day. News reporters from all around gathered at the hole of Pardon-Me- Pete the Groundhog. This was indeed a fateful day because if Pete casts a shadow and is afraid of it, the world would be in for six more weeks of winter. Well, Pardon-Me-Pete stepped out of his hole, cast a shadow, and was indeed afraid of it and ran back inside. But how could he cast a shadow on a day like today with no sun? Back down in his home, Pardon-Me-Pete tells that it was not in fact his shadow, but a magic shadow cast by Jack Frost, the mystic sprite who creates snow and ice. Pete tells us the story of how at one time, many, many years ago, Jack Frost became human. Not to mention the reason Jack Frost helped out Pardon-Me-Pete with the shadow routine: six more weeks of winter for Frost, and six more weeks of shut-eye for Pete. The story begins long, long ago in a tiny village called January Junction. Mama and Papa, the pumpkin peasants, were busy harvesting pumpkins. This particular family was very poor, except for one copper kaputnik Papa managed to hide from that greedy, sinister ruler Kubla Kraus, king of the Karsecks. Well instantly, Kubla rode up on his mechanical horse Claimstomper and stole Papa's kaputnik. But all was not lost, for soon they received a visit from Jack Frost, which meant snow and ice, which also meant...Ice money!

Cutting coins from icicles created ice money. For the entire duration of winter, the village was rich with ice money. (I wish we had a system like that). Nobody could see Jack Frost, but he liked to mingle with the townsfolk anyhow. He even used his magic powers to save the life of Elisa, the daughter of Mama and Papa, who was inches away from going over a water fall on a block of broken ice. She was actually in love with Jack Frost and, as soon as he heard, returned home to the clouds to see the ruler of it all: Father Winter. Jack told him he wanted to be human. Father Winter reluctantly agreed, and so Jack Frost could be human until the first day of spring, unless he were to accumulate four basic human necessities: a house for shelter, a horse, a bag of gold, and a wife, then he would be human forever. So Jack said goodbye to his friends: snowflake maker Snip, snow gypsy Holly, the hail persons, sleet sisters, and the rest, and then he headed for Earth and immediately ran into Elisa. He identified himself as Jack Snip, the tailor. Elisa brought him home to meet the family. The next day was Christmas day, and they really saved money on presents here, because they passed around one imaginary gift and each recipient imagined it to be the gift they had always wanted; Father Winter made Snip and Holly human also so they could keep an eye on Jack. Snip identified himself as Fernando Leonardi Dopopolopolis. That same day, a handsome young knight named Sir Ravenaugh stopped by, looking for a tailor to mend his cape. Elisa fell head over heels for him; Jack learns that obtaining a house, horse and gold would be difficult since Kubla Kraus owns all of them and wasn't about to give any of them up. Jack decided he had to over throw Kraus.

Meanwhile, Kubla Kraus set his sights on Elisa and, using his metal puppet and alter ego Dommy, managed to unsuccessfully woo her. He takes her back to his castle atop an icy, snowy mountain. He and his friends raced to Elisa's rescue. Now that he was human, Jack Frost had a harder time handling ice; Sir Ravenaugh rescued Elisa, while Jack, Snip and Holly were captured by Kubla Kraus' army of metallic knasty knights: Knute, Knick, Knorman, Knathan and the rest. They were imprisoned in Kraus' dungeon. They then overheard his plan to send 1,000 knights into January Junction and ransack the place. Jack had to do something, so he gave up his humanity to become Jack Frost again and cast a very fierce snow storm upon the town, keeping Kraus and his knights snowed in. And it worked. Until February when winter would have to end, depending on whether or not a groundhog was frightened by his shadow. Jack Frost made sure that he was, so winter would carry on another six weeks. But by April, winter definitely had to end, but Jack wanted another chance to be human. Father Winter granted it, until 12:00 noon. Jack raced to Kraus' castle and, imitating Dommy, managed to command the knights down the ice slope on the hill and become a heaping junk pile at the bottom. Father Winter makes short work of Kubla Kraus by blowing him away. Jack now had Kraus' castle, horse and gold for himself, but he needed a bride: Elisa, who at that moment was marrying Sir Ravenaugh! So, Jack Frost became his old shadow again and went back into the clouds...Until next winter.

Well, Jack Frost, another AniMagic hit from Rankin/Bass. The irreplaceable Buddy Hackett stars Pardon-Me-Pete Groundhog, our storyteller. Robert Morse is Jack Frost, Paul Frees is Kubla Kraus/Father Winter and Dommy, Larry Storch is Papa, and Don Messick is Snip. Other voices include Dee Stratton, Sonny Melendez and Debra Clinger. Too bad Buddy Hackett passed away in 2003. He was one of the best in his field. Paul Frees passed away in 1986, another best in his field. This story is very clever, especially with the mechanical characters. And the ice money. They should do that in real life. But anyway, when it comes on TV, check out Jack Frost! It's another glorious Christmas hit from the guys who brought dolls to life! Jack Frost, the icy man with a warm heart. I recommend it!

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
charming tale of sacrifice, 6 November 2003
Author: CineMage

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

**DEFINITE SPOILERS AHEAD**

This tale of Jack Frost's brief foray into human existence and unrequited love is charming but has genuine heart, providing no simplistic answers about poverty or the plight of loving someone who does not love one back, but approaching the delicate issues of life's unfairness with compassion. A wonderful story.

Even today, I will remember the pretend game, in which people pretend they have been given exactly the gifts they would want, whenever I feel stressed about fiscal difficulties.

This Christmas special doesn't really fit in with the "literary folklore" of the rest of the Rankin/Bass winter holiday tales -- for example, this Jack Frost has nothing in common with Paul Frees's Jack Frost villain in "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" -- and I think that may be one of the reasons it hasn't done quite as well as it ought. Many Rankin/Bass stories tie in to each other so that seeing one of them will remind viewers of other stories as well, and that doesn't work for this story.

The one flaw is the groundhog character: no offense to Buddy Hackett, but even his voice acting wasn't able to save the groundhog character from being trite.

Worth seeing overall for the way Jack responds to his first experiencing of first material need and then emotional need.

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