Hot Frosty | Review by: Benjamin Garrett
Everybody knows the story of Frosty the Snowman - brought to life by a group of children using a magic hat and, well… you know how the rest goes. But what if Frosty was a muscular hunk? What if he had a crush on the local town widow? Fear not, Hot Frosty is here to provide answers to those burning questions.
Combining the goofiness of an early 2000’s concept comedy with the sappiness of a Hallmark Christmas special, this movie finds itself somewhere in between those genres. While it fails to lean into its gimmick as far as it should or could have, it functions well enough to provide easy viewing with decent entertainment value. Hallmark channel enthusiasts will eat this up, but it’s got plenty to like for casual audiences too - even if, like myself, you usually can’t stand these types of movies.
A very ripped Dustin Milligan plays Jack the snowman, who’s brought to life by a magic scarf. Kathy (Lacy Chabert) - the owner of said scarf, takes him in and helps him adapt to life as a new human. Just like the classic children’s story/song, Jack needs to stay cool, or he’ll melt and die - or in this case, get kind of sweaty and die. My biggest gripe here is how the movie sometimes ignores this, opting for a more a straightforward romantic comedy angle instead. Jack is new to being alive, and he’s kind of dumb, which is where most of the comedy comes from. It’s amusing watching him learn and adapt, with a wide eyed sense of wonder over the smallest things.
Aside from the magical snowman component, the film follows a pretty standard formula, calling on familiar Hallmark tropes to make you go “awwww”. However, despite my ice cold disposition towards the genre, my heart grew three sizes while watching. Against all odds, I found myself just a little bit charmed. The cast are clearly having a good time, and the movie never takes itself seriously, embracing the silliness of its concept. Lacy Chabert and Dustin Milligan have solid enough chemistry to make this fish out of (ice)water love story work. The hilarious pairing of Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio as a sheriff and his deputy, offer up plenty of laughs and make for a fun side story.
The weather outside is frightful, so make yourself a hot cocoa, grab a blanket and curl up to watch Hot Frosty. This movie is far from perfect, never taking full advantage of its premise, but it delivers just enough charm, heart and laughs to warm your heart this holiday season.
3/5
