What I always loved about Frosty the Snowman is its simplicity. A snowman coming to life because of a magical hat is something any child during Christmas time might have dreamed up. Of course, an evil magician wants the hat, and in the meantime Frosty also has to cope with melting. To save himself, Frosty will travel to the North Pole, and in the process meet Santa. The plot is so simple a child could have written it. Frosty excels as a movie thanks to its timeless appeal via a magical, whimsical Christmassy story.
Frosty the Snowman’s childish charm is reminiscent of our own childhoods. It’s a tangible plot that while ridiculous, paired with the magic of Christmas, almost seems believable. Key word, almost, because if snowmen started to come to life, I’d want to stay indoors next Christmas. But the movie doesn’t make the event creepy, rather, Frosty is quite a charming fellow. It almost makes you want to have a sentient snowman in your backyard, then again, some things are meant to stay as Christmas movie magic. Only Frosty is the coolest snowman in town.
Easily the biggest weakness is the animation style. It’s extremely basic, and feels like an old, directly to VHS movie at the time. As time has passed, this movie looks ancient, but the simplicity of the animation style still appeals. Everything reminds me that I’m watching a movie for kids, and fittingly, it’s a very cute movie. The evil magician poses a juvenile threat, but don’t worry, Santa will fix it all, he can do anything! Such a basic, easy to follow plot, and the villain is much more goofy than threatening which is endearing and laughable.
Frosty the Snowman has enough fantasy to capture a young audience. The goofy slapstick brings a little humour befitting the silly kid movie, as well. Unfortunately, its short run time coupled with its childish plot isn’t enough to sink your teeth into. It remains a great Christmas movie – a classic – but there are certainly more entertaining options for adults. However, if all you want is a cute, fluffy kid movie that’s inoffensive and explores the magic of Christmas, look no further. It remains a charming movie, and one that’s still pretty entertaining despite watching it since I was a kid. I guess there’s magic left in that hat after all.
Never seen it but really good review!