This time of year always brings out two groups of people. Those who absolutely love Christmas and dread the holiday season. Thankfully, I fall into the former category, and this is the perfect time to sit down and watch Klaus, the new Christmas cartoon from Netflix. Tapping into that magical charm and good vibes that make Christmas so magical, Claus is the perfect family film for this time of year and will stand the test of time as a Christmas classic for years to come.
Storyline
The story begins with Jesper, an arrogant, selfish young man living the high life. It's a heartwarming story of friendship, trust and empathy when his father forces him to become the new postman on the isolated, run-down island of Smeerensburg. Jesper's chance encounter with a lonely woodworker acts as a catalyst to thaw an old feud in the town below, and as the film progresses, so does the concept of Christmas.
Gorgeous
Using a mix of CGI and hand-drawn animation, Klaus is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The lighting is realistically reflected from the different character models, and the hand-drawn scenery gives this film an old-school animation feel similar to the early 90s Disney films. Aesthetically, there's also a real understanding of color and tone, and the fine lines around the models, along with some exaggerated mannerisms and attention to detail, make Klaus one of the best-looking animated films in a long time.
It's also all tied to a musical score that makes clever use of all the traditional tropes of yesteryear, including classical undertones during dialogue and a montage built with vocals during the film's third act. All of this, combined with the film's simple (but effective) structure, makes Klaus a surprisingly powerful Christmas movie and a very enjoyable animation in its own right.
Voice Actors
The voice actors also do a great job with their roles, especially J.K. Simmons manages to inject just the right tones of bitter regret and passionate passion into the character of Klaus at various moments throughout the film. If it's because of Joan Cusack's performance as Mrs. Krum, if I have one gripe, it's that I expected the film to have a bit more laughs and a maniacal tone when it comes to the character herself. To be honest, this is more of a personal gripe than actual damage, so take this criticism with a pinch of salt.
While Klaus doesn't reinvent the wheel or do anything particularly original, it does use the perfect Christmas formula that has stood the test of time in films like The Polar Express and Jingle All The Way. Whether or not Claus will join the ranks as another Christmas favorite remains to be seen, but it's a wonderfully heartwarming film and an imaginative take on the origins of Santa Claus.
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