Klaus (2019) – 8/10 – Charming Christmas movie teeming with warmth & depth
KLAUS is an animated fantasy Christmas film with a fresh take on the story of Santa Claus. Thousands of Christmas movies exist, but KLAUS is a diamond in the rough. I expected another rehashed Christmas movie, but with a new twist. There’s the magical charm, enjoyment, and wonder behind the overall presentation with plenty to take. I didn’t expect Netflix to produce an entertaining movie like this, but it feels like something you’d get from Pixar, DreamWorks, or Studio Ghibli. Of course, I can’t say it’s unpredictable. You know how the basic plot will unfold. The film begins with misery and darkness, but leaves you smiling and celebrating the joys of life.
Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman) is the lazy son of the wealthy Royal Postmaster General of Norway. As the son, Jesper will inherit the wealth and his father expects him to succeed him as Postmaster General. But he doesn’t take his postmaster training seriously to return to his old, spoiled life. His father, enraged, assigns Jesper as postmaster of the isolated, frozen island town of Smeerensburg to form a post office and deliver 6,000 letters in a year. Upon success, Jesper could return to the main island and his luxurious life. But if he fails, he’ll lose his inheritance right. Smeerensburg’s locals have been stuck in a constant feud for generations and are uninterested in writing letters. The Ellingboes and the Krums, two rival clans, split Smeerensburg. With help from a woodsman, Klaus (J. K. Simmons), and a teacher, Alva (Rashida Jones), Jesper must bring kindness, laughter, and love back to Smeerensburg.
The best aspects of KLAUS were the lighthearted script, subtle direction, detailed hand-drawn animation, and amazing voice-acting. It considers themes such as selflessness, compassion, love, dreams, redemption, and community. I liked the central characters, but character development is insufficient. The story is well-written and rich with intricate details. I didn’t always enjoy the pacing, which occasionally slowed. The first time I watched it, I fell asleep through most of it. However, I was wide awake during the second attempt and only drifted during a few middle scenes. Even though it has its flaws, it’s joyous and has something for everyone. The warm ending leaves you emotional and in high spirits. A few interesting tidbits. Most of Jesper’s dialogue lines were unscripted and improvised by Schwartzman, something you don’t see often. The Academy nominated KLAUS for Best Animated Feature, but the Oscar understandably went to Toy Story 4. It took 10 years to develop this film.
Would I recommend this? Yes. I enjoyed it, and I think most people will. Beyond the pacing issues and a lack of character development, I didn’t see many problems. The charm jumps off the screen and leaves you emotional. There’s some likable humor too, which makes it worthwhile for the whole family. My rating is 8/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
