Hot Frosty - Una magia di Natale

The Netflix Christmas Universe grows every year. I for one love how they do references to other movies in it. Or to other movies entirely.

You know from the title, this movie isn't one to be taken remotely seriously. There are some familiar faces. It's cheesy. It's corny. It's predictable. It's over the top at times. But nonetheless, it's lighthearted and fun. It's sweet and fluffy, like Christmas cotton candy. While no one will win on Oscar for it, the acting is decent, while the cast chemistry is great. I needed something no heavy to watch, and this fit the bill nicely. I've never been a big fan of snowmen, but this one grew on me. He wasn't hard on the eyes, either!

I enjoyed Lacey Chabert in this movie, as I do any movie she's in. She's talented, warm... the ideal Christmas movie diva.

However, I found myself constantly distracted by the appearance of Dustin. He looks like he did some sort of fluid and food fast (bodybuilder stuff) before shooting. I gasped every time he came on screen.

My real problem isn't with this, but with the fact that we, as the audience, are supposed to find this emaciated appearance to be sexy.

I like him as an actor, but this was really hard to watch. What happened to that adorable man from Schitt's Creek?

This movie shocked me more than I'd like to admit, for reasons I never expected.

This magical little romcom has something extra - real comedy. It takes a standard Christmas movie formula, down to Lacey Chabert, the queen of Christmas low budget romance movies that are made for television, and levels it up with 1) Dustin Milligan (the hottie from Schitt's Creek, but hopefully soon to be recognized from much more, with his own comedy bonafides) as the romantic interest, and he is several grades above the usual tv movie actor fare. 2) Two of the main characters from massive award winning comedy hit Brooklyn Nine Nine, with "Judy" from that show now the comedic sheriff, who steals every scene, and his deputy "Charles" (who was lead Andy Samberg's trusty sidekick) - both of these actors are comedians well respected in the comedy world and you certainly don't expect to see them pulling their B99 hilarity in a film about a real life snowman! 3) The rest of the cast is charming, as well, and here they're given a bit better material (script/dialog) to work with than in the standard formulaic Xmas movie scripts (which, to be fair, are entertaining for the rate and speed in which Hallmark is pumping them out). So this improved script also helps raise Frosty to lofty heights, with this film up in the clouds looking down on Christmas films of yore.

It's surprising that Netflix would even go near this genre, since Hallmark loyalists are truly loyal, and their shtick is beloved. But I suspect that everyone who loves Christmas films will appreciate this one just a bit more than the others. Very sweet - do more of this, Netflix, and it wouldn't kill you to make a Hanukkah one!

A subtle satire of the Hallmark Christmas movies that is in on the joke, but walks the line so finely that it ironically is a solid version of the feel-good, festive films it is satirizing. While the tongue in cheek aspect might be confusing or even off-putting to the target audience, its unique tone helps distinguish it from the heaps of Christmas movies on streaming services.

Dustin Milligan plays a decent himbo made of snow, while Lacey Chabert delivers one of her signature flat performances in straight-to-streaming Christmas films. It's ultimately the comedic performances of Craig Robinson, Joe Lo Truglio and Katy Mixon Greer that elevate the film.

This is no 'It's a Wonderful Life', and I don't expect a high rating from many, but I actually made a note to watch it once it was available, and I do not do that often!

There are obvious issues with plausibility, but I expected that going in. The storyline is laughable. I mean that in both the good AND bad way! The characters are mostly textbook, but there's a chemistry here. Some of the cheesiest scenes are almost endearing in their eye-rolling silliness.

When all is said and done, I enjoyed this show. I have an affinity for a few of the characters, and even the most unlikable are goofy enough to forgive.

I recommend you set your expectations low, and just enjoy a cute holiday ride.