Review: Klaus (2019)
A film that demonstrates how ordinary people can bring the magic and spirit of Christmas and create a legend.
A year after its release on Netflix, the Film Post re-watched the BAFTA award winning and Oscar nominated Christmas film, Klaus. The animated film directed by Sergio Pablo, who previously worked on several Disney films, including Hercules and Tarzan, tells a story of a spoilt postman, Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) coerced to establish a post office on the bleak and sinister remote town of Smeerensburg (roughly somewhere in Scandinavia, we suppose). He befriends a lonely woodsman and convinces him to donate all the toys he made to the children of the town who write letters to him. This toymaker is no other than the titular Klaus (voiced by J. K Simmons) himself. Together they foster change in a town and inspire hope and the habit of selfless acts, consequently creating the legend of Santa Claus.
When talking about Klaus, it’s hard not to give credit to its animation — it is stunningly phenomenal. In a behind the scenes video, Sergio Pablos shared that he wanted to bring 2D animation forward into the future. With the amount of details and shadowing work on the animation, the film elevated 2D animation. In the months following its initial release there have been debates on whether or not it’s actually 3D!
The film is more than just it’s eye-catching animation. The soul of the movie, and what we love the most, is its story, particularly how they showcase the morals and spirit of Christmas through a reimagining of the origin story of Santa Claus. Despite the simplicity and straightforwardness of the plot, it still manages to inspire and remind us of the true spirit of Christmas. Some of the lessons the film teaches us that hope always finds it way through Alva (voiced by Rashida Jones), a schoolteacher who has lost sight of her dreams when the delinquent children of Smeerensburg no longer go to school.
A prominent lesson in the film is showing kindness through selfless acts. In a town where there is a long tradition of feuds between the clans, the Ellingboes and the Krums, hatred and spite thrived within the hearts of the townspeople, until Jesper threatens a kid that Klaus won’t give him any gifts he is naught. This resulted in the children doing chores and random acts of kindness which influences their parents.
There is one lesson that truly resonates with us. It is how sometimes the most magical things in life are created by the ordinary. Just like how the film uses innovative 2D animation to create a visually remarkable film that puts it on a competitive level with the animation used in Toy Story 4, the unique and imaginative, though simple, plot of the film still manages to have the same awe-inspiring and feel-good effect on audiences as other Christmas films like The Polar Express do. In Klaus, there is no magical, ethereal man in a red suit giving out presents at midnight instead, there is only a toymaker with a generous heart and his friend, Jesper, a slender postman who does all the delivering for him, such as climbing down the chimney and eating cookies. Together, these two ordinary characters create a legend. This is a lesson that is more relevant in these times of a pandemic that halted our holiday plans and traditions. Keeping the true spirit of Christmas and with a little imagination, we can make magic during this holiday season.
All in all, if there’s a film that you must watch with your family, it is Klaus. There are enough sarcastic jokes and quips for the adults as well as the usual slapstick comedy for the kids. While it also has its heartfelt moments and lessons that would apply to anyone of any age. Five years in the making, Klaus is a Christmas masterpiece that we wouldn’t mind revisiting every year.
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Photo Source: Klaus. Sergio Pablos. Netflix, 2019. Film.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed are personal and solely belong to the authors. They are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club organisation, company, individual or anyone or anything.
