Though they can be kind of cheesy, I adore the majority of the Rankin-Bass stop-motion stuff. They don't require "adult humor" or hip cynicism to be entertaining, and they possess a sort of innocence I miss in family entertainment.Though it's not as celebrated as the other RB specials, Jack Frost (1979) is among the best of the lot. It's far from being a downer though; the songs are catchy and the characters are all appealing (though I found Holly to be rather useless and her voice actor was laughably wooden).The most unique aspect of it is its bittersweet ending, where the hero does the right thing but does not get what he wanted. It doesn't kill the humorous, whimsical nature of the production, but it is refreshing and still remains a rarity in family fare.If you get the chance to see it on TV, then don't miss it.

As I really like/love so much of Rankin/Bass' output, I realised that I had not seen Jack Frost. Being intrigued by the story concept, I knew I wanted to see it. And I really liked it on the most part, it is not a classic in the vein of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy and The Year Without a Santa Claus, nor did it need or try to be and it is much better than it's given credit for. If there was anything I wasn't crazy about it was the groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete, who I find a trite character who fills the role of narrator but with not much personality or warmth(I know not all Rankin/Bass narrative characters have to be like Sam the Snowman for example but still). By all means Buddy Hackett does try hard but his character doesn't really allow him to play to his strengths and he does have a couple of jokes that fall flat.I personally much enjoyed the music though, the scoring is whimsical and dynamic. The songs are also lovely with the exception of the train-wreck that is I've Got a Day Named After Me. I found that the lyrics were really uninspired, the melody forgettable and stylistically jarring to the rest and Hackett's vocals consisted of singing painfully out of tune when he wasn't talking his way through the song. It's Lonely Being One of a Kind and There's The Rub were the ones that stood out to me the most, the latter as a matter of fact is in my head right now. The animation is beautifully crafted, every bit as accomplished as the earlier Rankin/Bass classics with backgrounds full of intricate and atmospheric details and colours that positively leap out at you.When it comes to the writing, Jack Frost is not one of the best in this regard(the best written for me is still Santa Claus is Comin' to Town) but it does at least maintain interest and is well-intentioned and sweet. The story didn't bore me in any way, there are some great ideas here, such as with the ice money, snowflake makers, snow gypsies and a knight in golden armour, and I was too engrossed in the story's imagination, charm and fun to really care about whether it made sense or not or whether it was propaganda(as I've seen it cited). The ending is different to what you'd expect, but it was refreshing to not have a "sugarcoated" ending once in a while and it was really quite touching. The characters are memorable apart from Pardon-Me-Pete, I found myself immediately liking and identifying with Jack, Dummy is hilarious and Kubla Kraus looks and sounds like Burgermeister Meisterburger as a cossack but is lots of fun all the same.The voice acting is very good, Paul Frees as Kubla Kraus, Father Winter and Dummy is simply genius. Robert Morse brings an appealing chirpish charm to Jack and Debra Clinger a youthful sweetness to Elisa. All in all, very under-appreciated if not one of the studio's very best. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Jack Frost (1979) *** (out of 4)Fun stop-motion animated film from the Rankin-Bass team has a groundhog telling the story of the one and only time that Jack Frost was human. We learn that Jack Frost, when he was the bitter winter, fell in love with a girl and was given permission from Father Winter to become human as long as he would be able to fit in with human life. JACK FROST is certainly another winner from the duo who by this time were already legends in their field. This film clocks in at 45-minutes but it not once feels like its running too long and this is due to the wonderful animation but story itself is also a very good one with memorable characters. I thought the Jack Frost character was truly a memorable one and especially the way he came from being nothing but winter to a human. I found the story to be fun to sit through but at the same time touching and especially the ending. What really makes the film so memorable is the actual animation that just jumps off the screen. I really loved the visuals, the colors and especially how the animation just really makes the characters and location come to life.

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.