Parents' Guide to

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman

By Grace Montgomery, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Modern follow-up to Christmas classic isn't as enjoyable.

Movie NR 2012 75 minutes
The Legend of Frosty the Snowman Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 9+

Based on 13 parent reviews

soulplexis
soulplexis Adult
December 30, 2020
age 7+

Good for anything but christmas

It's an entertaining movie somewhat but it's not a christmas one. Here is a huge problem from a quality perspective to me: you can tell this movie's story without frosty ever even being in it. you can replace frosty with almost anyone, and it will make complete sense still. I will now be summing up the story. Evergreen is a fascist totalitarian dictatorship lead by principal (or fuhrer) pankley who uses the mayor (the main character Tommy's dad) as a puppet to enforce his totalitarian agenda. then one day frosty the snowman comes and starts to change the oppressed children in order to crumble the regime. he does this by dispelling their fears, showing them fun, questioning the authority, and other things.. later on a coup d'etat happens after tommys dad and pankley removes the mayor from power. but not before frosty is assassinated by pankley himself, causing the frosty revolution to be squashed. the rebel kids get together and get the hat out and make frosty come back, and his rebellion returns in full force finally toppling the Dictatorship Of the Clipboard, at this point the former puppet mayor is given back his power and pankley is executed by freezing lake. tommy then goes on to marry sarah (one of the characters) and tells the story of how he lived under this oppressive regime to the viewer. and thats the movie!
1 person found this helpful.
ChristophersMom
ChristophersMom Parent of 6-year-old
November 28, 2022
age 9+

Not for kids that still believe

Terrible movie! There is a scene where they tell kids that Santa doesn't exist. So mad at this movie right now. Plus some of the kids are mean and bully other kids. The principal is awful to the kids even though the narrator tells how everyone is good and well behaved. We did not finish watching it.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Narrated by Burt Reynolds, this retro-style fable gives a sneak peek into the legend behind the beloved Frosty the Snowman (Bill Fagerbakke). The townspeople of Evergreen, led by their friendly but uptight mayor Mr. Tinkerton, is obsessed with following the rules. That is, until little Tommy Tinkerton (Kath Soucie) spots a magical top hat blowing into town. Knowing someone needs to remind the citizens of Evergreen that magic exists, Frosty and his trusty hat start leading kids into fun (but harmless) mischief. Meanwhile, the conniving principal Mr. Pankley schemes to get rid of Frosty and take over the town, unless Tommy (with a little help from his friends) can discover the real legend behind Frosty and how to save him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (6):

Fans of the beloved Frosty the Snowman Christmas special might be left a bit cold after watching this Frosty tale. The plot is pretty simplistic, and, at more than twice the length of the original Frosty movie, it feels stretched thin by about the halfway mark. There are a lot of nods to its predecessor, including stylized, retro animation, but it lacks its charm and fun. The adults (and even some of the kids) are unlikable and not very bright, and parents probably won't appreciate the message that it's OK to break the rules.

Even though this film is spun as a holiday movie and Frosty is supposed to bring about the magic and sparkle of the season, the film feels joyless. It's not a terrible movie, but it's not really that enjoyable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about rules. Should you always follow the rules adults set? When is it OK to break them?

  • What is your favorite movie about Frosty the Snowman? Why is it your favorite?

  • Do you have holiday movies you watch every year? Which ones are they?

Movie Details

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