'Toon Reviews 10: Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials Part 9: Frosty's Winter Wonderland

Frosty’s Winter Wonderland

Told and Sung by Andy Griffith

Original Airdate: December 2, 1976

Airs annually on AMC’s Best Christmas Ever

Available on DVD

If you were to watch Frosty the Snowman on TV, you’d probably notice that it’s immediately followed by the “official” sequel, Frosty Returns from Peanuts special director, Bill Melendez.  I liked that sequel a lot as a kid, but as I get older, I get more concerned that the media wants people to see it as the official sequel when it pays very little respect to the original special.  Frosty’s personality is completely changed for no reason at all. It doesn’t follow the original’s lore, mostly with how Frosty can live without his hat.  Above all, the special opts to be a preachy show about the importance of snow and the dangers of aerosols instead of a fun romp with a living snowman.  There are some things from it I still enjoy, but it overall feels like it was created to cash in on the original’s success instead of to be a new adventure in its spirit.  Now, Frosty’s Winter Wonderland is honestly what the general public should see as the official sequel to the original Frosty and not just because they have the same creators.  There’s a strong emphasis on kids having winter fun with Frosty which was what he was made for. Frosty is naïve yet caring like he was in the original. There are references to events in the first special. It follows the original’s lore regarding the hat.  Not to mention, new things like Frosty wanting a wife and Jack Frost being personified as a small figure who makes winter happen fit the theme of winter fun.  However, does paying better respect as a sequel than Frosty Returns mean this special is as good as the original?

Honestly, not really.  For all the references and respect to the first special, there are still glaring elements to this sequel that prevent it from being a perfect companion.  It hardly feels like a continuation since it seems to take place in an earlier time period than the original.  The first Frosty special took place in a contemporary town suitable for the decade it first aired. This one, from the designs of the characters’ clothes, the houses, and even the cars, seems to take place in a turn-of-the-century time period. 




Kids in Frosty the Snowman



Kids in Winter Wonderland

Also, the kids Frosty hangs out with look nothing like the ones who built him in the first special and, for some reason, they add in a dog and two horses.  Considering how Frosty’s friendship with the kids, especially Karen, was one of the strongest parts of the first special, it’s really disappointing that they’re replaced.  I’d understand the change in characters if both specials were stop-motion since the puppets and armatures probably would’ve been worn out after seven years in between. The fact is they’re traditionally animated.  Nothing should’ve prevented the animators from simply redrawing the same kids, so there’s really no reason why they couldn’t use them for the sequel.  These factors keep me from getting completely invested in what goes on. That’s a shame because I do like the concept of everyone building Frosty a wife and trying to bring her to life, so he won’t be lonely.  Plus, when his wife, Crystal, does come to life with the power of love, she and Frosty get up to some charming moments together.  That said, an even bigger detracting factor is that the story plays things too safe focusing on nothing more than simple winter fun.  You might say the first special was like that too, but that one also had a fair share of high stakes.  There was Frosty constantly under threat of melting, i.e. death, while worrying about his friends freezing over.  These bits of danger made the fun and happy moments worth caring about to sell the bonds between Frosty and the kids.  With the lack of danger here, the simple moments just aren’t impactful.  The closest thing to danger we get is Jack Frost trying to get Frosty’s hat which will render him lifeless. The thing is, Jack simply isn’t threatening, coming off like a petty kindergarten bully due to his jealousy of the kids liking Frosty more than him.  Even when Jack succeeds in getting Frosty’s hat, he doesn’t stay lifeless for long when Crystal brings him back to life with a true love’s kiss shortly after.  Adding in the constant variations of the “Frosty the Snowman” song that quickly get overbearing, the lack of stakes really lowers the universal appeal of the special. 

For how much I harp on this special, it’s still entertaining on its own.  As I’ve said, Frosty getting a wife is an interesting idea for the plot and a lot of nice moments come from him and Crystal together.  The moments on their own, as well as their eventual wedding, are really endearing and make them a couple worth supporting.  They also bring out some of the high points of the special. They include Jack Frost’s reformation when they let him know he’s why they even exist, and the best musical sequence, Andy Griffith and Dennis Day’s cover of “Winter Wonderland.”  Plus, the very existence of Crystal and Jack Frost add to the Frosty universe’s lore which helps increase the appeal, even if the choices made to the setup bring it down.

While this does deserve to be treated like a true sequel more than Frosty Returns ever did, the significantly less risky tone and not going all out with continuity work against this special.  Fortunately, it has some good-hearted moments from Frosty and his wife, solid laughs from Jack Frost, and the continuity bits done correctly to make it worth your time.  Just don’t expect to want to make a tradition of watching it like you would with the first special.

Worth a Look

The Ranking

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
3. The Year Without a Santa Claus
4. Frosty the Snowman
5. The Little Drummer Boy
6. The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
7. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
8. Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
9. Cricket on the Hearth

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special, Rudolph's Shiny New Year and see if this sequel will fare any better.

If you would like to check out other Rankin/Bass special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 10: Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials Part 4: Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman

Told and Sung by Jimmy Durante

 

Original Airdate: December 7, 1969

Airs annually on CBS

Widely available on DVD and Blu-ray

This is one of the most popular specials Rankin/Bass ever created.  Through viewing it for the all the Christmases I can remember, and growing to understand of what makes a great animated work, I feel it really deserves the popularity it has.  The special is based on a song about the joys of building snowmen and the fun kids have with them before they melt. It takes the simple idea of what’s sung and with a little imagination, turns it into a memorable story with likable characters and many heartfelt dynamics. 

The story itself is quite simple, but that’s hardly a problem since despite that, it can still be executed with creative scenarios, many emotions, and even genuine stakes. The tone starts out light-hearted and fun as you’d expect when a girl named Karen and her friends build a snowman and name him Frosty.  In a creative addition to the story, the hat that brings Frosty to life comes from a washed-up magician named Professor Hinkle. He wants to use it for his own greedy purposes and spends the whole special trying to get it back.  The heart of the special grows when you consider how others view the hat. While Hinkle wants to use it to become a millionaire magician, the kids want to keep it safe, especially since it’s the only thing to keep Frosty alive.  Speaking of Frosty, the titular snowman is so lovable all throughout.  He’s one of those characters who lacks intelligence, but has a lot of care and love for those he meets and is always upbeat in spite of the circumstances.  Speaking of which, while the tone is still fairly light-hearted as Karen and the kids play around with the sentient snowman, the story slowly works in heavier emotions.  It happens when Frosty feels the temperature rising which means he’s in danger of melting, the snowman equivalent of death.  From there, a sense of urgency becomes apparent. The kids cut their playtime with Frosty short to save his life by getting him to the North Pole where he can never melt (debatable by today’s standards).  There’s still fun stuff at first though, like Frosty and the kids marching through town set to Jimmy Durante’s upbeat cover of the title song.  It's also spiced up by humorous bits like bystanders giving freaked out reactions to a live snowman and Hinkle’s rabbit, Hocus, tagging along.  However, the moment Frosty hops a freight train’s refrigerated box car with Karen, the light-hearted stuff is cast aside even more for effective drama.  Due to being in the cold box car , Karen is now in danger of freezing, so Frosty shows off his most empathetic side and strives to get her to safety.  It grows even more when they’re caught in a violent snowstorm and all Frosty can think of is Karen’s well-being, especially since he’s unable to make her a fire. The minimal dialog and music help you buy into the seriousness of the situation.  However, even that’s not the darkest thing this special does.  When he notices he doesn’t have the special hat, Hinkle goes to insane lengths to get it back, so while he’s protecting his friend, Frosty is never safe himself.

The big thing about this scenario is comes when circumstances lead Frosty and Karen into a greenhouse where Karen gets the warmth she’s desperate for. Hinkle locks them inside and succeeds in melting Frosty.  The sight of his watery remains alone is just devastating after all we saw of him.  Not to mention, even if we don’t see it, the moment is really implied to be tragic with Karen watching this fate befall her friend.  Out of this moment, we do get a mature lesson from Santa Claus about how snow never really goes away when it melts. It's a lot like sayings of how people we lose are always present in certain ways.  The lesson does lose a bit of its value when a December wind turns Frosty’s puddle back into the snowman he used to be. Santa could’ve easily convinced Karen to build a new snowman for the magic of Frosty’s hat to live on in and the special could still play out as it does.  Either way, the fact that Frosty himself has made this special so appealing makes this aspect not matter much. The happy ending is also very pleasing where he comes back and is finally brought to the North Pole all set to another playing of the aforementioned cover of the title song.

This special is a great, fun little tribute to the joys of snow and how special snowmen can be for kids. As you get older, there’s a lot to the story and characters you’ll better appreciate like the depth to the friendships, the genuine stakes, and the emotional tone.  For all these reasons, it makes perfect sense why this special is a must-watch at Christmas and one of Rankin/Bass’s absolute best works.

Highly Recommended

The Ranking

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. The Little Drummer Boy
4. Cricket on the Hearth

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special where you learn everything you wanted to know about Santa Claus and more in "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town."

If you would like to check out other Rankin/Bass special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.