Movie Review: Klaus

A modern holiday classic

Klaus is the directorial debut of Sergio Pablos (He was the creator of Despicable Me), and is the first movie from his new animation studio. Perhaps Klaus is his apology to the animation industry for bringing Minions into existence. Klaus was released last month, but I wanted to save it for the holidays as that would be more appropriate. The movie follows Jesper Johansson (Voiced by Jason Schwartzman. Who I just found out played the main villain, Gideon, from Scott Pilgrim vs the World; good movie, great movie), the lazy, and spoiled son of the post master. Jesper is then taken to the small island town of Smeerenburg where a non-stop generational feud is what keeps the town alive, and it is up to the reluctant postman to establish a functioning post-office there. Though Jesper will find help in the most unlikely of places. Just before I get into the review I already want to say that this movie has to be one of the best animated movies to come out this decade! Anyways, on with the review.

The movie begins with Jesper narrating the legends of Santa, but then goes into further explanation, to explain why the myth exists in the first place, and it all started with a letter. We then get a lovely montage as this bright blue letter travels through this grand area that is revealed to be the Royal Postal Academy. The letter is given to a drill sergeant who then hands it off to Jesper, who is seen slaking off when he should be doing his training. The letter is from Jesper's father who has asked for his appearance in his office. Jesper willingly goes thinking that maybe it's because his father is letting him go back home now. That is not the case however. Jesper's father, the post master wants his son to learn how to be responsible, and to do so assigns him to an isolated island village by the name of Smeerenburg where no postman has ever successfully established an office there. Jesper is to establish a working post office in a year with about six-thousand letters sent. Jesper must complete the task or else he will be disconnected from the family entirely. Reluctantly, and with plenty of hilarious sarcasm, he goes off. Jesper's attitude during the first quarter of the film reminds me a lot of Kuzco from Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, which I love very much.

Jesper soon meets up with a sarcastic boat captain who takes him to Smeerenburg. The captain also tricks Jesper into ringing a bell in the middle of the town saying that it'll be the welcome party. Jesper rings it, only for him to find out it's the battle bell, whenever rung the two clans begin to fight. Jesper barely makes it away into what seems to be a run-down school house. Though it isn't much of a school since it had to become a fish shop. This is where Jesper meets Alva (Voiced by Rashida Jones, who is quite multi-talented, seriously check out her filmography), the only teacher on the island, but since no one sends their children to school she was forced to become a fish shop owner in order to save up money to eventually leave. The captain then finds Jesper, and takes him to the abandoned post office where he will be staying at. It is comically run down with even chickens living in the mail slots. Jesper reluctantly gets to work just wanting to leave as soon as possible, lo and behold, however Jesper finds that no one is interested in sending letters to anyone. Just when he loses all hope he comes across a drawing dropped by a child living in a large towering building. Jesper sees this as an opportunity to deliver the letter, but before he can convince the child to do so the child's father returns, and scares off Jesper. With all faith just about lost he finds a lone house on his map that he hasn't visited yet, The Woodcutter's Cabin.

Jesper makes it to the lone cabin, but finds the woodcutter no where. Though he enters the workshop only for him to be blocked in with icicles. Within the workshop, Jesper finds an assortment of handcrafted toys, one of which starts playing music which spooks the cowardly postman. During his panicking, the old woodcutter (Voiced by J.K. Simmons) finds him in there, Jesper only seeing this hulking man with a axe quickly takes his leave. Though on the way he drops the child's drawing. Back down at the village Jesper is trying to decide what to do, when suddenly the woodcutter approaches him. The woodcutter has Jesper show him where the letter came from, once there it is now night time, and the woodcutter prompts Jesper to deliver a package to the young child inside the house. Through a series of hijinks he manages to get in, and out of the house. The woodcutter then takes Jesper, and they watch through the window as the young boy unwraps his new toy frog. The next day Jesper finds children lined up outside the post office having heard that by sending a letter to Klaus, the woodcutter, they would be able to get a new toy. Jesper sees this as his opportunity to meet his quota, and goes to meet with Klaus. Jesper explains that since Klaus has so many toys he could basically donate them to the children. Though hesitant at first Klaus agrees, only on the condition that it's at night. 

Everything seems to be going fine, though when two of the children are found playing with other, we get a small explanation for the feud. They fight simply because their ancestors did, and the adults of the two clans believe that the two clans can never get along because of this. Huh, kinda sounds like boomers wanting to keep the status quo. Despite this however, Klaus, and Jesper's deliveries go smoothly, and with each delivery the children start creating stories about Klaus, which really was mostly Jesper. What I like a lot about this movie is that, it is very grounded in reality, there is no magic; except for maybe at the very end, but it's quite subtle. Although during one delivery he finds himself at the home of the village bully, and decides instead of giving him a toy, instead he'll give him coal. The next day the bully confronts Jesper asking why he didn't get a toy. Jesper knowing well of all the stories the children are putting together convinces them that only good kids get toys, while naughty ones get coal. This leads to the village children doing acts of good will, and from those selfless acts the adults soon follow through as well. Alva also finally gets to become a teacher as the children are encouraged to go to school so they can learn how to write, even using up all of her savings to rebuild the school house.

Klaus eventually runs out of toys however, though Jesper suggests that he simply make more. Klaus insists that he can't, though doesn't explain why. Jesper decides to upgrade his workshop then hoping that with it tidied up maybe Klaus will make more toys. Though upon finding a old covered up memorial of Klaus and his late wife Lydia, Klaus is angered, and Jesper leaves. Before leaving, Klaus explains how they always wanted children, so that was why he made the toys, for his children that were never born, and his wife passing away shortly after he had built the cabin there. Upon arriving back at the post office he finds a little Saami girl (They are a real life indigenous people who occupy mostly Northern Finland, and the Kola Peninsula off of the western area of Russia). Not being able to understand her, Jesper takes her to Alva hoping that she can interpret. With Alva translating, Jesper is able to help the little girl, who we learn her name is Márgu, write a letter to Klaus. Though with how Klaus was at the moment, but not wanting to let her down, he attempts to try, and build the toy himself. Jesper ends up falling asleep, and while doing so Klaus appears, and wakes Jesper up wanting to help him, and be partners again. The two work together, and create a sled for Márgu, and deliver it to her. Upon seeing her reaction in the morning, Jesper is filled with a new spirit, now not caring about quotas, but instead wanting to bring people happiness. 

The two decide that the next time they deliver presents, it will be on Christmas night (Chances are they're speaking about the religious version of the holiday, though they don't clarify if so), though they do not know where to even start. Although because of their act of kindness, the Saami people come to help Jesper, and Klaus put together the whole Christmas event, and so does Alva as well. During the montage is a heartwarming moment in which Jesper adds small figurines of everyone to the memorial, as if saying that they are Klaus' family. Back down at the village however, the clan leaders meet together to discuss the issue with all the villagers becoming non-violent, and breaking tradition. To fix this they decide to have a temporary truce, and go on to forge eighteen-thousand letters, and send them off. Right on Christmas night Jesper is surprised to find that his father has arrived to meet him because he had overfilled his quota, and is ready to bring him back home. Klaus, and the others overhear this, and realize that Jesper had ulterior motives all along. Jesper reluctantly goes with his father onto the ship, though before it can leave he has a heartfelt conversation with his father. Jesper's father happily accepts this, and encourages him to go back, and even says that he is proud of him. Jesper quickly returns to the workshop seeing how the clan leaders had wrangled up a torch wielding angry mob, bent on destroying the toys.

Jesper makes it to the workshop in time, and we go into a chase scene which ends in tragedy. Jesper saves the sleigh, but is unable to save the gifts. Although even though the clan leaders think that now things will go back to normal, it is far from the truth, as the children of the leaders fall in love. Jesper is still sad about the gifts however. Klaus reassures him however; turns out that bag full of "toys" were actually decoys as they were well aware that the clan leaders would come, and try to stop them. Though with Jesper's act of selflessness, he earns everyone's trust once more, and Christmas goes off without a problem. We then learn that overtime they were not only able to expand their service to other areas, but also the town finally had peace. Jesper, and Alva get married, and he and Klaus stay good friends. Though as he sadly says, one year, he simply disappeared without a trace. Though now every Christmas eve Jesper knows that Klaus returns in spirit, spreading joy across the world. I would be lying if I said this part didn't make me tear up. The movie then concludes, and it's officially cemented as one of my new favorite Christmas movies.

Klaus is a perfect movie to end the decade, because despite all this advancement in the animation industry, this is what we all really want. I still can't believe that this is a 2D animated movie, it is so beautiful, and unique to look at. Folks, keep SPA studios (Sergio Pablos Animation Studio) on your radar, because if this was just their debut movie we can only hope it gets better from here. I also felt that the movie was almost like a better version of the classic stop-motion animated film, "Santa Clause is Comin' to Town". I know a bit silly to compare it, but so far this has to be one of my favorite, "Santa Origin" movies ever. I'll most definitely watch this one on a yearly basis. Anyway this modern Christmas Classic gets a 5 out of 5 paws up.