'Klaus' review: Netflix gets in the spirit of Christmas and ticks all the right boxes with its first original animation movie
We’re all used to seeing Disney Pixar’s animated films as it has set the benchmark for other animated films. Not far behind, ‘Klaus’ is Netflix’s first original animation film which seems to have taken inspiration from these animation giants of the industry.
Considering that this is the platform’s first original animation film, ‘Klaus’ is such a feel-good movie that it creates an impact and hits you in all the right spots.
The movie explores themes such as love, compassion, growing up and of course the spirit of Christmas! The title of this film has an interesting wordplay, which invites the viewer to know more about the story. The main element of the story lies in the essence of keeping the tradition of writing letters to Santa Clause for Christmas. After all, Christmas is incomplete without Santa’s presents.
When we grow up the significance of Santa Claus changes, but for children it has to be the same. It is sort of a tradition that has to continue for generations to come. A concept like this is very well portrayed through cinematic representation used in the film.
The film had some amazing character arcs throughout. Take the case of postman hero Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), he was a total brat as he was completely dependent on his father's money and property. His transformation from being an ungrateful person into the savior of Christmas was phenomenal.
The man actually made education fun for children and helped Miss Alva (Rashida Jones) do the job she was actually good at. Jesper led to the transformation of an entire town of Smreensberg, for good.
On closer look, Smreensberg itself is a significant character here that undergoes major development towards the end of the film. Initially, the town was covered in snow, colored in dark and grey which radiated cold vibes. To add to it, the people there constantly engaged in feuds and fallouts. They have divided themselves into two distinct clans—Krums and Ellinbones.
Anyhow that didn't stop the town from having a great Christmas as its hues changed to warmer tones that radiated joy. A ray of positivity ran through every house and street of Smreensberg, and it was the biggest Christmas miracle of them all.
Even though it managed to pull off a classic Romeo & Juliet towards the end, fortunately, there were no deaths in this one. The magic of Christmas was a spectacle to witness as the flow of wind had a key role to play in making miracles happen.
Klaus was represented as a normal human being with regular human emotions. He was able to express emotions just like anyone else. To add to the uniqueness of this film, Klaus’ backstory was a real tearjerker. Who knew Santa ‘Klaus’ too could have a sad past.
The film touched upon the traditional and cultural aspects of Christmas like Santa's naughty list; how Santa Claus could travel on his sleigh to give children gifts on Christmas, squeezing himself through chimneys noiselessly and of course his favorite cookies. It was all beautifully captured. The film lacked nothing and was near perfection with an adequate proportion of emotions and action.
On that note, 'Klaus' is a brilliant film that you must not miss this Christmas. The director, Sergio Pablos, has made his directorial debut with the movie and deserves all the credit for making such a wonderful film.