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I've noticed a common thread in Dreamworks movies concerning the main characters; they're all outsiders, rejects. They don't quite fit into the mold they've been assigned. Jack Frost is probably the most rejected of all of DW's main characters. Waking up in a frozen lake, knowing not where he came from or who he is, the Man in the Moon tells him his name, and nothing else. Upon finding a little colonial town, he discovers that not only can no one see him, but he is intangible as well.
So begins 300 years of soul searching and aimless merry making. In that time, Jack has made foils out of the Guardians (Cossak with a heart of gold Santa, resentful but caring Bunymund, scatterbrained and determined Tooth, and the powerful but loving dreamweaver Sandman), who summon kidnap him to make him a guardian, on the Moon's orders.
It seems the spirit Pitch, the boogeyman, has come to kill the guardians, leaving nothing to counter his desolation and fear. Pitch is a fascinating character, not evil per say, but long gone are the days where he ruled unheeded. Like Jack, he is unseen and resentful, only really wanting to be believed in, nothing more. He just understands only fear, hate, and darkness.
He actually has quite a bit i common with Jack, seemingly more than Jack has with the four guardians. And that is the plot of the movie; Jack finding his 'center', as it's refered to by North. His self discovery, finding why he's here, where he fits in. In the grand Dreamworks tradition, his a bit mean, rude, seclusive. But he's also lost, misunderstood, and confused.
This is one of the most psychologically intense movies DW animation has ever made, even more so that the emotional heavy HTTYD and KFP 2. The first scene, Jack's rebirth, and a scene that takes place in Antarctica most of all. You don't feel like you're watching an animated film, but a real boy whose life has been changed forever.
The movie's not perfect. It could have benefited from a longer running time, letting the scene's move more slowly, deliberately. There is also a scene of mourning which is powerful but ends abruptly (though for good reason).
In the end, this is one of the most powerful and emotionally potent Dreamworks films to date, bringing a spectacular magic to the screen, and to the hearts of those who believe.
9 out of 10
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