We dip into another Rankin-Bass and one that turns 40 in 2019. "Jack Frost" premiered on NBC on December 13th 1979; it's one of the later Rankin-Bass specials. Interestingly enough, this is the second it's the second time that they have personified Jack Frost though in this story they have a different canon.
This is another Rankin Bass Christmas special you could watch in February and not be judged. (What? That was a strange thing to say)
The February thing was not just a throw away line of mine, I mean the special starts in February with a groundhog named Pardon-Me Pete , voiced by Buddy Hacket, whom you may know from some older Disney movies. Pete (we are going to call him Pete) is getting ready to do Groundhog Day. (This special will loop) When he gets scared by his shadow, he explains that wasn't his shadow but Jack Frost. So, before bed he wants to tell us about Jack Frost. Leading to the theme music. Jack Frost is personified as figure who likes being around the people, in this special it will focus on a town called January Junction.
Gather round me, I shall tell you a story/ Copyright Warner
January Junction is kind of in a bad spot there is an evil king named Kubla Kraus, who ha made the town his serfdom. He takes all the money and makes everyone poor. During winter the town benefits from the snow and cold because people can exchange ice money. (I'm not sure how this economy works in the first place if a crazy man owns all the money, how do you have a business?)
Now Jack gets close to the people of January including a girl named Elisa, who likes Jack Frost and he hears this and takes it as something else, I think. I love the creativeness of this special as Jack's home is in the clouds they personify winter as Father Winter who run a whole winter operation. There's a guy name Snip who makes the snowflakes, there's a sprite named Holly who is in charge of a White Christmas (they must have fired here around here) and there are some other weather figures.
Holly and the ivy/ Copyright Warner
Jack has decided that he wants to be a human because has fallen in love with the girl. He has gone to Father Winter to request this, and after a song Father allows it. Father says that it's tempoary, Jack has to get a house, horse, gold, and wife before spring and he'll be human permanently. (Well that's a list)
The lady of his affections/ Copyright Warner
Now human, Jack meets with Elisa and goes by the name Jack Snip. (Could have told her he was Jack Frost but apparently that's hard) Father Winter decides to send Snip and Holly to human life as well to assist Jack. (He's using this power a little too much) Jack finds out that January Junction is not the best place to get a house, gold, or horse.
The villain is ,of course Kubla Kraus. They made him a very interesting one, he's greedy, mean, and yet he is sad and lonely because he is mean and greedy. He even has a robot army, and robot mice because even the mice don't want to be around him. There's also a dummy he has named Donnie. Also, I'm going to get this out of the way now, he will be dead by the end of special, it's not even reform him special or something, no he will be dead. Not even go away or something straight up dead.
More on that later. More after the jump
I will add he's not bland villain at all.
Good Villian song
Later on, there's a knight named Sir Ravenal, because knights exist in this too? Who's he working for? He wears a suit of golden armor. Anyway he and Elisa know each other and are might be more than friends. (This special is getting spicy) And Christmas shows up. Later on, Elisa gets kidnapped by Kubla Kraus and go out and recuse her. (That new dating service: Capture a Wife is strange) Jack tries to save Elisa but, instead the knight does. Oh guess what they are setting up?
not sure why he wears gold/ Copyright Warner
Jack, Snip, and Holly got captured. Jack decides to give up his humanity to make sure Kubla Kraus. Yep, Jack gave up his chance, to make save the town. He also makes sure he gets six extra weeks of winter by making the groundhog see his shadow and run. (Uhh how old is Pete?)
The problem was only delayed by the frozen , Jack has to finish the job. He comes back as a human. He also has until noon to get his goal, or one hour. (What?) First a beam knocked out Kubla and makes it seem like Kubla and orders the robot knights to fall down. Kubla wakes up and Jack causes him to fall out the window, and Father Winter makes him disappear . To be fair, he's dead now.
So Jack has 75% his goal, he needs a wife but this special doesn't end that way. Elisa is marrying the Knight. Jack thought she loved him. It's fitting, she knew everything about Sir Ravenal and not much about humanized Jack Frost. (Too bad Jack could have just lived as rich, sexy bachelor, oh well) This ending for Jack is one you'd think nah, they wouldn't pull that off, but yeah they did and did well. You could see how Elisa hoped for a golden knight, her old friend shows up, they are realistic and that's a good message to show. It would have been nice for Jack to have the happy ending , but it works show sometimes things don't go that way. It's a great special , has a interesting story, characters and it's well done.
That's our lookback tune, in next time when we try and marry summer breeze.
No comments:
Post a Comment