Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman

This frost-bitten sequel to 1997's surprisingly clever and enjoyable "Jack Frost" finds the titular killer snowman (voiced by Scott MacDonald) traversing to a tropical resort to harass shell-shocked Sheriff Tiler (Christopher Allport, looking like he'd rather have a recurring role on "7th Heaven" than do this again) and company once more. "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman" is every bit as ridiculous as you'd expect, but is also even cheaper and dopier than you may be anticipating.

Opening with a title in the coolest of cool Windows '98 fonts, 'Chiller,' the chintzy look and feel of the film is established almost immediately, as if to warn you to turn it off before it's too late. Likewise, the cinematography is virtually non existent. "Jack Frost 2" has all the production value of a turn-of-the-century Comedy Central sitcom, but with hardly a fraction of the wit. Michael Cooney returns to the director's chair for this direct-to-video cheapie and although he tries to bring the same humor and energy from the first, it just doesn't translate. Just like snow can't hold up in a warm environment, neither can the original's charms redeem this sorry affair. Jack will try to make you smile time and time again, but his water-logged puns aren't enough to break the ice.

On the upside, the fast and loose feel of the production means that no one is taking this terribly seriously, and neither should you. Midway through the film, Jack sprouts a few dozen snowball offspring who wreak havoc on the resort, "Gremlins" style. These slightly entertaining bits, culminating in the film's deus ex banana (see it to believe it), offer moments of semi-inspired silliness, but by then, most of its cool has melted away. Take this one with a grain of rock salt.

If you have been reading my user comments, you will have seen that I enjoyed the original "Jack Frost" movie. I thought it was a pretty funny black comedy. So when I heard they had made a sequel, I was set to rent it. However, none of the video stores in my city got it (knowing that video stores watch screeners, that should have been my first warning.) It took years for me to get a copy, which I did by my Internet DVD renting service. On the DVD, I saw that there was a 3 year gap between the film copyright and when it was released on DVD - which should have been my second warning.

Anyway, I watched the movie, and I was sorely disappointed. The movie looks like it was made on a budget much smaller than the first movie (if that's possible). While the cheapness occasionally gets a laugh (check out the "airport" near the beginning), most of the time the movie looks very tacky. Some parts look like they were shot on videotape and not film!

Despite the cheapness, I might have still enjoyed the movie had it the wit of the first movie, but it doesn't. The humor this time around seems very forced, with (among other things) too many lame wisecracks by the snowman. The script also suffers from having a number of boring stretches, a lame climax, and the movie having to resort to ripping off "Gremlins".

Is there anything good about this sequel? Well, I thought that there were a few decent splatter scenes, which managed to be gory and amusing at the same time. But they are not enough to make it worthwhile to slog through the boredom and lameness in the rest of the movie.

This time they tried to actually make it funny. They failed, but they tried. There are so many things that don't make sense but what would you expect? The budget is almost non-existent. They are clearly not on an island and every indoor scene was probably in the same building. At least Jennifer Lyons was in it.

Having already seen the original "Jack Frost", I never thought that "Jack Frost 2" would be as absurd as it is. Boy was I wrong! Then again, A-PIX movies have a way of showing unbelievably bad material, even worse than you might expect. I believe this is the first A-PIX sequel, and it may be an indication of what to expect in the future: more A-PIX sequels.

It's hard to watch this without laughing, especially during the later parts of the movie in which Jack Frost's offspring (which are essentially snowballs with eyes, arms, a mouth and sharp teeth) start killing people with the typical comedic dialogue and silly voices to go with it. They are shown both as puppets (with a stick underneath to move them) and as computer animation, which I have to say looks very cheesy. The computer animation surprised me, as the first "Jack Frost" had no such effects.

I'd strongly recommend that you see the original "Jack Frost" before seeing this one (both of which it would be preferable to watch with a group of friends) to get the full amusement out of it, and because it would make more sense ("sense" being a relative term).

Now only if there was "Uncle Sam 2"...

Any self-respecting fan of cheap flicks is bound to approach Jack Frost 2 with a certain degree of understandable caution. Sequels are always tricky ground in this genre, and when you're dealing with the sequel to possibly the most beloved "Killer-Snowman-Shags-That-Chick-From-American-Pie-To-Death-In-The-Shower" movie ever, (a hotly contested title, for sure, but I stand by my judgement), the stakes are obviously fairly high.

Being able to recapture exactly the same sense of cheesy ineptitude without overdoing it was always going to be a tricky task. Cooney succeeds in fine style, principally by following the established blueprint in an entirely new location. In this case; a tropical island. Natural stalking ground for a snowman.

Early sequences, in which Jack is represented by a puddle of water and a carrot on a piece of thread, might suggest to the casual viewer that the budget for this follow-up will not stretch to the dazzling visual spectacles presented by the original. Don't be fooled.. Cooney knows just what he's doing, and is merely lulling the casual viewer into a false sense of security. He pulls out his trump card in the latter third of the flick. He has bought a home PC animation package, and he knows how to use it.

Well, he doesn't *quite* know how to use it. But he'll have a jolly good go. Hence, inept live action effects are seamlessly blended with inept computer generated effects, and we're all set for a staggeringly poor finale.

Despite the somewhat misleading title, at no point does Jack kill any mutants. Pity. I'm sure he'd have kicked Wolverine's fuzzy backside.