The most recent adaptation of Frosty the Snowman which takes place in a town called Evergreen where freedom is very limited until Frosty comes to help the protagonist, Tommy Tinkerton. The entire story involves Frosty trying to help Tommy, a young shy boy who seeks desperately to please his punctilious father who he fears disappointing. But to do so, he has to get through to everyone Tommy knows. Throughout his adventures with the people of Evergreen he slowly turns the straitlaced uptight town into a more free and carefree environment. Which does not go well with the school principal, Principal Pankley, who seeks total control over all aspects of Evergreen and wants to use Frosty's influence to manipulate the mayor.
This story holds a much stronger continuity to the original Frosty the Snowman than any other special, even featuring a comic book over Frosty's origin with most of the characters from the original appearing in the comic.
The special had been a staple in Cartoon Network's Christmas line up for many years.
Tropes
- The '50s: While the setting has no set time period, the aesthetics and clothing evoke this era.
- Alliterative Name: Tommy Tinkerton, Sara Simple, Walter Wader, and the Sklarew triplets; Sunny, Sulley, and Simon.
- Alternate Continuity: The film appears to be set in a different continuity due to Frosty and the Magic Hat having a different backstory, and the fact that none of the supporting cast ever appeared. note
- Actor Allusion: Frosty is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke and Mayor Tinkerton, who was friends with Frosty when he was a child, is voiced by Tom Kenny. Both actors are more well known for playing another pair who happen to be best friends.
- …And That Little Girl Was Me/Narrator All Along: The ending reveals that the aged narrator is an elderly Tommy Tinkerton.
- Art-Shifted Sequel: Unlike the original Rankin/Bass films and Frosty Returns. the style in this movie have more jagged and the characters have smaller eyes.
- Bald of Evil: Principal Pankley serves as the main antagonist and is balding.
- Balloon Belly: Happens to Frosty after rolling down a hill sideways with Walter.
- Big Bad: Principal Pankley, who wants to have all the children of Evergreen under his complete control, and has ambitions of becoming mayor so he can control the town. Oh, and he hates Frosty because the snowman represents everything he hates.
- Big Good: Frosty himself. He comes to Evergreen to help the children rediscover the magic of winter and spread their joy and laughter to the rest of the town.
- Character Catchphrase:Frosty: Happy Birthday!
- Character Development: The entire special involves its characters gradually changing.
- The town of Evergreen starts out as a strict no-nonsense with total control over its citizens' lives to a kind average free town.
- Charlie Tinkerton starts out as a strict, blindly loyal Jerkass, by the end he's much nicer and relaxed.
- Tommy Tinkerton goes from a shy and anxious kid to a brave sociable kid who put a lot at risk to help his father.
- Walter goes from an awkward Nervous Wreck to courageous and the first one to rebel against the town.
- Mr. Tinkerton after his Sanity Slippage is much less strict and meticulous and not having his kids live up to his expectations.
- Mrs. Simple finally stops expecting her daughter to be a Generation Xerox of her, while her daught Sarah Simple learns to be more assertive about her own opinions.
- Clipboard of Authority: Exaggerated to the point of parody. The clipboard is treated as almost like a king's crown and whoever holds it has total authority over the town
- Continuity Nod: The cover of the Frosty the Snowman comic features several characters from the original version.
- Control Freak: All adults of Evergreen are like this, but special mention goes to Principal Pankley, who happens to be the real reason for just about pretty much everything that's happened from thereon.
- Darker and Edgier: While still light-hearted, whimsical, and kid-friendly, this special is notably the darkest of any Frosty special.
- Didn't Think This Through: Frosty makes Sarah ice skate blades out of ice. They later end up breaking under weight.
- Disney Death: Pankley tricks Frosty into ice skating on thin ice, causing him to fall through and liquify in the water. He is restored back to life by the children later.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Tommy Tinkerton in the end is said to have received everything he ever wanted.
- Felony Misdemeanor: All infractions of the rules in Evergreen are treated as if they had broken a law.
- Freudian Excuse: Mr. Tinkerton became obsessed with rules and order after Frosty disappeared during his childhood.
- Walter Wader is a Nervous Wreck because he is scared of his caring but strict, domineering, and less-than-sympathetic mother.
- Generation Xerox: Mrs. Simple desires her daughter to be one of her, Sara tries very hard not to.
- Go-Getter Girl: Sara Simple, who is very ambitious and independent.
- Happily Married: Tommy Tinkerton and Sarah are revealed to have been married for years in the ending.
- Heroic BSoD: Tommy Tinkerton's father goes through this when Principal Pankley points out how chaotic things have been since Frosty's return.
- Human-Focused Adaptation/Secondary Character Title: Despite the title, the movie doesn't have much focus on Frosty and the main character is Tommy, the boy who discovers him.
- An Ice Person: This special establishes Frosty as a literal magical being, possessing snow and ice powers in addition to being a living sentient. While Frosty Returns shows he can teleport in and out of blizzard wind, this shows he has the ability to shape things out of snow and ice, such as Sara's ice skates and reconstructing her snow model of Evergreen. He even makes a frozen lake in her backyard, and makes the moon project a Dramatic Spotlight when teaching her how to skate.
- Jerkass:
- Principal Pankley was like this even before The Reveal. Best shown by his extremely rude remark when Tommy told him a hat was following him.
- Mr. Tinkerton can also be quite a jerk, even if he's not aware of the fact that he's being one.
- Charlie Tinkerton was very smug, rude, and aggressive, but luckily he became much nicer after meeting Frosty.
- Losing Your Head: Frosty does this a few times.
- Meta Casting: Tom Kenny plays Mr. Tinkerton whose long time friend since childhood is Frosty played by Bill Fagerbakke. Sound familiar?
- Mythology Gag: Tommy Tinkerton's grandfather is a magician and is a dead ringer for Professor Hinkle from the original 1969 special.
- The Legend of X: The film's title is The Legend of Frosty the Snowman.
- My Beloved Smother: Walter's mother. Walter lampshades it by pointing out he thinks his mother is scary at first, until Frosty makes him realize she's just a woman.
- Namedar: Frosty instantly remembers the names of the three Sklarew brothers, and can tell them apart. They lampshade it.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Frosty is the only character who doesn't conform to the special's angular 1950s-esque art style. Instead, his design heavily mimics the Rankin/Bass specials, causing him to stand out.
- Revisiting the Roots: This film is made to be something of a retelling of the original special with minor tweaks and a prequel to it at the same time. Additionally, the special portrays Frosty in a unique Rankin/Bass-esque style compared to everybody else, and without the scarf frequently seen in later adaptations.
- Sadist: Principal Pankley took a great deal of pleasure in the misfortune and punishment of students.
- Sanity Slippage: Mr. Tinkerton undergoes this when he's unsure whether Frosty is real or not.
- Sealed Good in a Can:
- Frosty's role in the film, where his hat was locked away years ago by Pankley because he was jealous of him. In the film's current setting, the hat breaks free and Frosty returns once his hat is placed on a mound of snow.
- Pankley tries this again by using Walter to trick Frosty into going onto a frozen lake with thinning ice. When the snow body falls into the water, he takes the hat and locks it in a glass case in the school. The kids have to pull off a theft and build a new snow body to restore Frosty.
- Suddenly Shouting: This bit.Frosty: Knock, knock.
Walter: Who's there?
Frosty: Ice cream soda.
Walter: Ice cream soda who?
Frosty: I SCREAM SODA WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN HEAR ME!! - Token Evil Teammate: All the parents insist on their children doing exactly as they say and are very strict, but in a "it's for your own good, you'll thank me for this later" way. Principal Pankley, however, is a Child Hater and schemes to usurp power from Mr. Tinkerton.
- Tomes of Prophecy and Fate: The comic book that Tommy finds acts as it. It warns him about the Bad Future that Pankley will cause.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Charlie Tinkerton was somewhat of a Jerkass at first, thankfully he mellowed out after spending time with Frosty.
- Undying Loyalty: Charlie Tinkerton is highly devoted towards his father.
- Unwitting Pawn: Walter Wader to Principal Pankley.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Both Tinkerton boys.
- Charlie Tinkerton holds Undying Loyalty to his father and goes to great lengths to please him and is very successful in doing so. And when his father takes away his #1 Son button it crushes him emotionally.
- Tommy Tinkerton holds a great fear of disappointing his father which is the reason he is unwilling to meet Frosty initially. Pretty much everything he does in the special is for his father.
