Klaus

Klaus is just the right amount of Christmas joy you need to help you through finals week. With great humor, characters, and animation, this Netflix Original packs an emotional punch that snowballs to the very end.

From a distance, the story hits the usual beats of a family film. One character (Jesper) needs to learn how to be more generous/ grateful for the life they have, so they are put in a quirky position with strangers far away from home, and the only way they can get back to their normal life is to have a life changing, charitable experience. The bare bones is pretty generic, but the film never treats it that way. Every scene is packed with little shreds of character either from the background characters or the humor, and these shreds are continually brought up again and again before finally showing the result of Jesper’s work. The audience realizes with Jesper how much has changed, and how important he is to these people. Every piece of the story adds to another, layering itself on top of the last scene until it finally steps back to reveal the mountain of storytelling it has built. There is only one cliché scene to add brief moments of conflict, but I was so invested in the characters that I ignored its shortcomings. The best part of the story is when it lets the characters witness the happiness they bring to the townspeople; those scenes really pulled at my heart and offered fantastic storytelling. It is a brief scene, but the first gift Klaus gives to a child is one of the most emotional plot beats I have seen this year.

The characters make this film the lovable gift that it is. Jesper, played by Jason Schartzman, brings the same spirit and comedy as Emperor Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove, but he also has more emotional scenes. He goes from hilariously dealing letters like drug trades to pouring his heart out with his tiny friend, Margu. It really helps show his hidden humanity, and how the town begins to slowly melt his heart gives his flaws weight when it all comes crashing down. These scenes are not as powerful as other characters’ beats, but they help elevate him to a sense of humanity. Jesper is a great protagonist but the supporting characters are what make this film an instant classic.

Although the story mainly follows Jesper, it dedicates a lot of its runtime developing Klaus and the teacher more and more as the town begins to change. The teacher’s subplot is mainly an avenue for a romantic story with Jesper, but how the film shows her love for teaching kids breaks her free from the cliché purpose of her story. She becomes her own character with memorable moments and a far more interesting arc than Jesper himself. The change in her classroom is done through animation and it is a beautiful change in scenery over time; it helps her character grow without any dialogue in a very short amount of time. Klaus, the titular character, really holds the spotlight in this film. I loved every part of Klaus; played by J.K. Simmons, he has very few lines but they all build up this old, worn down man that wishes he could bring back the magic of his family. The animation explodes in quality every time he is on screen, and his gradual shift from a secluded man hiding from his past to the Santa Claus we know today is spectacular.

Overall, this film is filled with heart and passion. The beauty of the 2D animation proves the hard work put into this film, and the emotions of each character break through the TV screen. J.K. Simmons shines out of his few lines, and Jason Schwartzman brings back that Emperor’s New Groove energy with Jesper. The story is simple and predictable at times, but it knows when to stop the agency and let the audience breathe with the characters. The magic that flows through this film is emotional, and the message never seems forced or hypocritical—it earns the specialty of creating true Christmas spirit.

Story Rating: 7/10

Character Rating: 8/10