It was only a matter of time before they remade Frosty. And as I sit here watching the original on TV, after having watched the new version, I'm not sure it was necessary.

The new Frosty changes the legend considerably. There's no urgent search for a way to save Frosty from melting. There's no evil magician, no fight for the magic hat (until the end, and it's almost an afterthought). The kids now live in a modern-day Stepford, an uber-neat utopia governed by Mayor Tinkerton and Principal Pankley. The kids stay in line and do what their parents say. The school hasn't used its detention room in decades. Then Frosty comes to life, and ruins everything. He actually wants the kids to have ... fun (gasp!).

I like the old version. The poor police officer's shock at seeing a living snowman, Frosty and Karen's quest for the North Pole — the theme was simple — take care of your friends, no matter what, and remember that there's magic at Christmas. The new Frosty is a rant against the establishment. "Kids, don't let 'the man' keep you down! Following rules is for saps! It's PARTY TIME! And you know what — your parents want to do it, too, but they've been brainwashed by 'the man'. It's up to us to save the day!"

My daughter enjoyed the DVD. She's enjoying the original, too. And there are some great moments in the new version — some fun plot-twists, AND a magic comic book to boot. If the updated version was all I'd ever seen, it would be great.

But I remember the original, and the new version is a pale copy.
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