5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Give the film a break - it is what it is..., September 3, 2005
This movie was never intended to be a horror/scary movie. The filmmakers CLEARLY meant for it to be a campy, funny film, with a lot of humorous deaths along the way. If you watch it with that in mind - NOT expecting anything truly scary - but just a disposable, kill-90-minutes-on-a-Saturday-afternoon movie. The production values are nil, and the acting and script are unquestionably sub-par, but on that one certain level - that very specific level I mentioned previously - this movie actually has some funny scenes and isn't as bad as others have made it out to be. The strongest point I can make is the one I made already: if you are looking for The Shining or Rosemary's Baby, this AIN'T it. If you're bored or under the influence of something, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes. Looking for true scares? Skip it. Looking for a quality horror movie? Skip it. Looking to kill some time and maybe laugh a little, and lighten up a bit, you may want to at least give it a try. I gave the one two stars, because one stars are really reserved for those films that intend to scare and pretend to deliver (if only through the box cover artwork and "reviews" from obscure online review sites) and really rip off the audience.
Just by way of background, and while other reviewers seems to prefer to reveal much of the story and plot, I think that sort of ruins the film in many cases. So, you'll want to look for other reviews and reviewers if that is what you are looking for...
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hooray for Cooney and company!, January 23, 2001
I was ridiculously excited when I first heard about this sequel to Michael Cooney's criminally underrated splatter-comedy, "Jack Frost." The first "Jack" was an endlessly entertaining mix of high- and low-brow humor, gory slapstick, and genuinely striking visual direction. Like most converts, I first rented "Jack Frost" because of the tacky holographic cover art. However, the film itself was so inventive and exciting that I had to own it. The DVD edition of "Jack Frost" was enjoyable enough (the widescreen transfer was a nice surprise), although there were no noteworthy extras. This remains a true shame, and I eagerly await the arrival of a fitting Special Edition DVD of the first "Jack Frost."
With the DVD release of "Jack Frost 2," A-Pix Entertainment has redeemed itself (for the moment). The Jack Frost 2 DVD is riddled with the type of cool extras that have become standard fare for big studio releases. Some extras work (the "music video" is good for a laugh), and some don't (the "behind-the-scenes" section leaves much to be desired. I'm probably as big a fan of the Jack movies as anyone could be, and even I was fast-forwarding past these largely uneventful vignettes shortly after they began). However, regardless of the relative highs and lows, die-hard Jack fans have finally received what they have sought for so long... a full-length audio commentary by writer/director Michael Cooney.
Cooney makes for an engaging host during his insightful play-by-play account of the production (his nifty accent is a surprise bonus!). I've sat through dozens of these commentaries, and while the vast majority of them feature the musings of more widely celebrated Hollywood players, few are as informative and amusing as this one. Cooney addresses a litany of topics - from his decision to shoot on High-Definition video, to the constant rain which forced the film to be photographed primarily in close-ups so as not to reveal the omnipresent tents in the background. Each bit of information is sure to be appreciated by the faithful few who revel in every exaggerated camera set-up, knowingly silly one-liner, and hysterically creative action sequence. It is a welcomed wealth of insight into the working methods of a truly talented young filmmaker.
Of course, die-hard fan that I am, I wanted more. Cooney says little about his own background and training, and there is no mention of the film's conscious influences either. I suppose that it is possible that the spirits of Sam Raimi, Joe Dante, Peter Jackson, and countless others were nowhere to be found during the production of each Jack Frost film, but that seems highly unlikely. I would like to have heard more from Cooney about the effects of past and present Masters on his personal approach to filmmaking. Films as self-consciously stylized as his sort of beg such name-dropping, don't they?
No matter... the DVD is a joy to behold. And the movie is pretty terrific as well. While never quite reaching the manic highs of its predecessor, "Jack Frost 2" is certainly packed with enough ingenuity to delight fans new and old. The snappy visuals and clever transitions are pretty much wall-to-wall, which is wonderful news for those of us who couldn't get enough of the melted Jack Frost P.O.V. shots in the original (in this installment, I am especially fond of the rapid zoom/dissolve which serves as the transition between Captain Fun's explanation of his secret plan and the good Captain's plan in full-blown action... very cool shot). The introduction of Jack Frost's offspring is an appreciated twist, as is Sheriff Sam's hilarious shift towards simple-minded buffoonery during the film's conclusion.
The montage sequences are especially noteworthy. The opening lab sequence and the offspring combat set piece are visually dazzling examples of storytelling efficiency. Shawn Paper's perfectly paced edits and Jeremy Paige's second-unit camera shine especially bright in these sections of the film. If nothing else, both Jack films serve as stellar examples of giddy action films crafted on nonexistent budgets. This is good stuff, folks. Really, really good.
In fact, my only complaint is the use of High-Definition video in place of 35mm film. Despite the admirably clean transfer on the DVD, the High-Definition video only serves to distract from the overall quality of the movie. High-Definition video may be the undisputed King of Video formats, but its inherently flat imagery and compromised color palette are no match for properly wielded celluloid. Cooney and his crew manipulate their High-Definition cameras as well as anyone I've seen in the world of short and feature filmmaking (in fact, cinematographer Dean Lent deserves a special shout-out for eliciting some surprisingly vivid color from the notoriously droll world of video). However, at the end of the day, "Jack 2"'s low-budget look seems only heightened by the use of video instead of film. For me, this was a bit of a let-down.
Of course, the fact that a sequel was even prepared remains a rather astounding feat, so I suppose I should quit with the silly fanboy complaints. The bottom line is that both "Jack" films are wicked cool additions to the frequently overlooked splatter-comedy genre. And like every other splatter-comedy masterpiece (a list of fanboy favorites that beg, at least once, to go without mention in an online horror movie review), Michael Cooney and his team seem destined for bigger and better things. I, for one, am excited about the movies these guys could create if ever provided the luxuries of a major studio's financial excess. To be sure, when that day comes, I'll be the first in line for a ticket.
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