On November 15, 2019, Netflix released their first original animated movie and inarguably their best – there’s not many good ones out there. Produced by the SPA studios, Klaus is a traditionally animated movie directed by Sergio Pablos and starring the voice talents of Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso and Joan Cusack. The film does the origin story of Santa Claus in a manner far different from the historical and well-popularized Jolly Saint Nick, this story taking place in the 19th-century.
Klaus tells the story of a pampered postman named Jesper, who after deliberately underperforming in a postman academy is sent to an isolated village located above the arctic circle known as Smeerensburg. The place is populated by townspeople who absolutely hate and rival each other, and have no interest in getting to know or like the recently stationed postman. In complete desperation, Jesper ends up running into a mysterious carpenter who makes toys, and the two end up helping in bringing the village much needed happiness.
Upon release, the film received critical acclaim, currently sitting at a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.2 score on IMDb. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, as well as winning both a BAFTA and an Annie Award for Best Animated Feature. I first saw the film back in 2019, and ever since then, I usually try to watch the film 3-4 times during the holiday season. There’s not many holiday films that I usually rewatch, or am a big fan of, but this is one of the few Christmas movies that won my heart, mainly for it’s narrative and beautiful animation. I might even consider this my favorite Christmas movie of all time.
To start, I REALLY want to talk about the animation first, mainly because it was traditionally animated. Even in 2019, the amount of traditionally animated movies coming out were slim to none, so to see this story so beautifully crafted in this style was really nice to see, and also shows the continued love and passion for traditional animation. The characters in the story are all really charming and stand on their own, whether it’s a postman who’s writing style and personality match Kuzco’s from The Emperor’s New Groove (in a good way), or a young Sámi girl who instantly wins the hearts of the viewer without even speaking English. The narrative at a pacing that is well-paced with a story that is well-crafted, sure to resonate with audiences of all ages.
Overall, I would give this film a 9/10. If you haven’t seen this movie, I definitely recommend checking it out this holiday season! Especially if looking for a Santa Claus story that differs from most other films’ that focus on Santa. In addition, the animation, characters and story will definitely deliver something that is sure to deliver both a great animated Christmas film, as well as one that is sure to become an annual Holiday season rewatch!
