After proving himself to be the worst postman at the academy, a postman is posted to a frozen town in the North where he discovers a woodworker, Klaus, who is in hiding.
Now if this isn't the sleeper of the year, I don't know what is. Klaus packs a punch that is reminiscent of the impact that Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse had nearly a year ago. Both films have spent the time and money necessary to create a unique animation style that works in tandem with an engaging story to create an all-round fascinating product.
The production of Klaus is riveting in and of itself. The directorial debut of Sergio Pablos, Klaus is the first release from Pablos' own animation studio. For those not in the know, Sergio Pablo is better known as the man that created the Despicable Me franchise and has worked animating and designing characters for many notable Disney movies such as Hercules, The Goofy Movie, Treasure Planet, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan. Despite this filmography and an initial teaser released in April of 2015, Klaus remained in production limbo as Pablos struggled to find funding for this debut directorial film. Luckily for us all, Netflix is all about funding those risky projects.
What about this film is risky? Well, this is not 3D animation. Klaus has a return to 2D animation--which is more time consuming and costly--with some 3D effects added to give the movie a blended hybrid feel to it; a style that is now unique to the Sergio Pablos Animation Studios. Despicable Me, of course, led to the oversaturation of Minions in every single aspect of capitalism, from movies to food, drink, and toys. One could quite easily consider Klaus to be Pablos' sincere apologie for that yellow and blue blight that he released into the world.
I'm digressing as I am trying not to rush through this review. I'm spellbound by this animated film, and the more I learn about it, the more intriguing it becomes. Klaus is an attempt at creating a single origin story for Santa. Incredibly, inspired by Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, Sergio Pablos wanted to also bring a more modern and grounded origin to an outdated character. The origin of Santa has been covered many times, but lore varies from country to country, and are often widely based around religion or magic. Klaus is something else entirely.
This is an example of a story that has a very predictable endpoint. With Christmas film's it's near-impossible to avoid that, but it is the journey to that endpoint that hooks you in. This is a story about a spoilt kid, forced to be a mailman against his will. Not your usual Christmas story premise. But it manages to put forward several main characters and provide them all with their own well-rounded development arcs. Whether it be learning to better prioritise your place in the world, overcome loss, or reignite a long lost passion, this is a set of flawed but likeable characters who manage to learn and improve themselves throughout the film. The story is quite quirky with visually mesmerising environments and locations, but it is truly the animation that steals the show.
There is much about this film that isn't covered by the dialogue. There aren't a whole bunch of expository monologues (something indicative of a poorly scripted Christmas movie being churned out for the sake of it), it is clear that a lot of careful thought and planning has gone into this. The framing of each scene, the expressions and movements of each character, everything is meticulously scripted and decided, to the point that you can have a few quick actions on the screen that is able to convey a paragraph worth of dialogue. This is the whole purpose of utilising film over radio; to show, not tell.
Even the voice acting is top-notch. With Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Will Sasso, and Norm Macdonald, the talent is definitely noticeable. The dialogue is exceptionally witty and modern, which can take a little while to get used to--as the setting feel much more antiquated--but really helps to keep the audience hooked throughout its 96-minute runtime. That attention to detail and authenticity is present here too, with child voice actors used to voice the animated children, rather than having an adult "fake it".
The character designs are new, but still feel nostalgic and familiar, thanks to Pablos previous works. Schwartzman's Jesper has a very similar design (and personality trait) to that of Kuzco in The Emperor's New Groove. Simmons' Klaus looks very similar in design to most of those heavy-set Disney characters (Mr Incredible, Kronk, Gaston), and there is even an animated child that has a facial design similar to that of Lilo & Stitch. The gorgeous nature of the animation comes down to some brilliantly handled physical comedy, splendid framing of scenic environments, and the additional lighting and texturing which give the style of 2D animation an almost 3D feel.
The orchestral score works really well with the animation and the story, though there are definitely some lyrical tracks that (like the dialogue) do feel very modern, and not quite the best fit for the unspecified period of the film's setting.
The grounded origin story has so much heart. There is a sense of charm, there is depth to the film from an emotional standpoint. It hooks you in early, and despite knowing exactly how the film is going to end, you remain entranced as the characters go through this journey together. Thematically, it pushes the idea that "one true act of goodwill, always sparks another", and I'm on board with it. It looks at the aspects of greed, selfishness, and unquestioned tradition. all wrapped up in this glorious animation style.
I think this is my top Christmas film. I'm calling it early. This is going to be a hard one to beat.