Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman

I had to write in and warn potential Jack Frost 2 viewers that the version that is circulating around in the video stores (the VHS version to be specific) is void of good gore content. If you want to see this movie, which I recommend since it is a good rainy Sunday night tongue-in-cheek fest, get the DVD version that hasn't been cut to shreds!! Then you get all the eye gougings, head explosions and crushed bodies you would hope to see when you picked up the ever so taunting box at the store. Simply put, the cut version is the one you will probably see, and it sucks because of what ended up on the cutting room floor.

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.

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"...

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.

"Jack Frost" (1997) was a stupid film, though it was meant to be stupid...so it was actually very watchable and fun. It's NOT to be confused by the big budget disaster, "Jack Frost" (1998)...and if I had a choice, I'd much rather see the 1997 film instead.

For some reason, the folks who made the 1997 film decided to make a sequel...which is tough since the evil snowman in the first film was melted and stored in antifreeze containers. These containers were buried and some idiot decided to unearth them and revive the killing machine. This time, however, the snowman arrives on a tropic island where a lot of bimbos, idiots and the cast of the first film are there for vacations. This time, however, the snowman not only goes on a killing spree but later explodes into a huge number of killer snowball babies.

If all this sounds very stupid, well, you have pretty much guessed perfectly. The film IS stupid and never tries to be anything but stupid...much like many of the Troma films or "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". If you enjoy this sort of silliness, give the film a look. However, unlike the first film, this one has a bit of gratuitous nudity and the story isn't exactly necessary. Worth watching if you have relatively low expectations and low standards.

By the way, if you do watch, you'll have a rare chance to see Doug Jones without all the makeup that he's usually enveloped in with most of his films. He's near the beginning of the story and is aboard a life raft.