Movies

Roger Ebert HATED This Michael Keaton Movie

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A cinephile would recognize that this critic’s reviews encompassed films he strongly disliked, particularly those he perceived as a personal affront. This esteemed film reviewer had such deep admiration for the art and possibilities of cinema that any film falling short of his expectations was not merely a slight on him, but on the entire cinematic realm. Evidently, the family movie “Jack Frost,” featuring Michael Keaton, fell victim to this high standard.

First debuting 27 years ago, the movie “Jack Frost” revolves around its protagonist Jack Frost (Keaton), a budding singer and less-than-ideal father. A year following his unexpected demise, Jack is reborn as a snowman, seizing this fresh opportunity to mend relationships, particularly with his son Charlie. Despite the film’s innocuous nature, renowned critic Roger Ebert panned it harshly in his review, expressing disdain towards the snowman character.

Roger Ebert Couldn’t Get Over Jack Frost’s Design & Visual Effects

Jack Frost Accidentally Foreshadowed Today’s Excessive Fealty to Realism in Film

It’s important to note that Ebert had numerous valid reasons for not liking the movie Jack Frost. Nevertheless, most of his harsh criticism was centered around his dissatisfaction with the snowman’s design and his discomfort at merely looking at it. In Ebert’s own words: “The sight of the snowman is to dislike the snowman.

Ebert found the snowman character creepy, and he expressed that he has never disliked a movie character more than the one voiced by Keaton.

Essentially, Ebert appreciated that the puppeteers from the Jim Henson Creature Shop and the digital artists from Industrial Lights & Magic did their jobs exceptionally well using their artistic talents. However, despite his best efforts, he found it challenging to reconcile the realistic portrayal of Jack Frost’s filmmakers with the story’s intended cute tone.

In simpler terms, Roger Ebert said the figure doesn’t resemble a traditional snowman, but rather appears as if someone wore a low-cost snowman costume. When it moves, it doesn’t slide smoothly; instead, it seems to walk, albeit without visible feet, almost as if it’s crawling with its upper body.

This creature resembles a father figure, with thin, spindly branches acting as arms that can rotate a full 360 degrees when throwing snowballs. Its mouth is large and wide, appearing to chew like one might with Gummi Bears.

Or, in a more playful tone:

This guy looks just like your old man – his skinny branches are perfect for tossing snowballs in every direction! And when he’s not doing that, it seems like he’s chewing on Gummi Bears with that big ol’ mouth of his.

In many scenes, such as the action-packed snowboard and sled chase using a green screen, and where a real snowman suit was digitally replaced, Jack was featured in a movie from the ’90s. However, unintentionally, Jack appeared more unsettling than endearing or lovable due to his design.

It appears that the creators of Jack Frost may have aimed for a more realistic portrayal of a sentient snowman rather than making him appealing, resulting in a design that is somewhat unsettling and not particularly likable. Despite his realistic and scientifically plausible appearance as a talking snowman, Jack remains an unusual character due to his uncanny resemblance to humans while still being distinctly otherworldly. Interestingly, the eerily humanoid design of Jack Frost can be seen as a precursor to some contemporary filmmaking where blurring the lines between human and non-human is a common theme.

In my perspective, a faint yet undeniable connection can be traced between myself, Jack Frost, and the design philosophies of films like Battleship, Cowboys vs. Aliens, and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These designs, while realistic, tend to be dull and eerily similar, often falling short of being engaging. At their worst, they can unsettle even seasoned cinema enthusiasts such as Ebert. However, it’s important to note that Ebert’s disdain for Jack the Snowman was more about his character development rather than his unusual appearance.

Roger Ebert Hated How Little Imagination & Thought Was Put Into Jack Frost

Jack Frost Didn’t Do Anything Interesting or Noteworthy With Its Gimmick

In a surprising twist, I found myself following the storyline of a talking snowman, much like the iconic character portrayed by Michael Keaton in Batman (1989), in the movie Jack Frost. However, this film, focusing on a father’s journey towards redemption, sticks pretty closely to the conventional narrative. Unfortunately, films of this nature were quite common and overly prevalent during the ’90s, making it feel less unique.

Anyone who has watched movies like “Click”, “Nine Lives”, the remake of “The Shaggy Dog” and even “Mary Poppins” can clearly see what kind of father Jack is and how he’ll make use of his second chance. In many ways, “Jack Frost” doesn’t contain a trace of self-awareness or irony. The main difference between this movie and the others mentioned is that instead of being a human, Jack Frost’s lackluster father transforms into a snowman. Interestingly enough, if you compare him to Bruce Springsteen, he only resembles The Boss and The E Street Band when they perform holiday music.

Roger Ebert describes Jack Frost, the snowman, as being representative of the intellectually shallow screenplay, which, surprisingly, features a sentient snowman but resorts to using plot devices such as a school bully, a chase sequence, snowball fights, a hockey team, and an old family friend to converse with Mom.

To maintain engagement during the less action-packed parts where the snowman is conversing, you could consider incorporating humorous or intriguing elements that will keep your audience engaged and entertained.

The film, instead of delving into the imaginative possibilities of Jack Frost as a sentient snowman or the emotional reunion of Charlie with his deceased father, focuses on mundane interactions between Charlie and Jack Frost. These scenes consist of Jack and Charlie enjoying winter sports like sledding, Jack teaching Charlie unique hockey skills, and Jack watching Charlie play hockey. Such activities are in stark contrast to the film’s potential exploration of an afterlife, humor, and absurdities that could arise from being reincarnated as a snowman.

While these movies aren’t inherently bad, they’re disappointingly formulaic and saccharine for family films. Additionally, the plot wouldn’t vary significantly if Jack’s revived form wasn’t a snowman. In his critique, Ebert may have overstated his case by accusing Charlie of being selfish and self-absorbed. However, in the movie itself, it’s actually Jack who insists on reentering Charlie’s life. Contrary to Ebert’s assessment, Charlie doesn’t manipulate Jack for personal gain; instead, it’s Jack who pursues a relationship with Charlie.

In an attempt to make up for his lack of involvement in his son’s life, Jack engages Charlie in activities that are traditionally associated with fathers and sons. However, despite his lectures about growing up and taking responsibility, Jack had often put his own interests ahead of his family when he was alive. Charlie appears clingy because he is a grieving child yearning for more time with the father he lost. Despite all the anger directed at the snowman, Ebert didn’t save enough money for Jack.

Jack Frost Is One of the Most Ridiculous Versions of One of Hollywood’s Most Overused Plots

Roger Ebert’s Quotable Review Is the Best Thing Jack Frost Has to Offer

Nothing illustrates Jack Frost’s insignificant nature quite like its absence from the mainstream cultural consciousness. In fact, when most people or search engines come across the name ‘Jack Frost,’ they tend to associate it with low-budget horror movies about killer snowmen that were produced after the original films. Many would argue that these slasher films, such as the 1997 movie ‘Jack Frost,’ which features a comical scene of murder in a bathtub, are more captivating than Keaton’s tale of frosty reincarnation.

Jack Frost might not be as intellectually offensive as Ebert suggested, but it certainly excels in depicting the vacuity and shallowness that characterized many family films during a prolonged period. For quite some time, filmmakers seemed limited to creating stories that were overly patronizing and self-promoting, focusing on parents demonstrating their worth to their children.

Instead of teaching kids the importance of appreciating their parents through an unsettling snowman that tells corny jokes about being a snowman, it would be more effective and endearing to use a character with a selfless nature and greater likability for this lesson.

Jack Frost is now available to watch and own physically and digitally.

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2025-07-06 03:40

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