KlausMost Christmas stories deal with someone having to reevaluate their own selfishness when confronted with the needs of others; in other words, discovering the "Christmas Spirit". Klaus is an animated film about a coddled young postman named Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman), whose father--the Royal Postmaster General--assigns him to a remote post in Smeerensburg, a ramshackle shanty town on a frigid northern island. The ill-equipped Jesper is charged with delivering six thousand letters in a year, or be cut off from his family's wealth, forcing Jesper to come up with some creative solutions to get back to his posh lifestyle.
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Klaus is a reimagining of the myth of Santa Claus. In this story, "Klaus" (J. K. Simmons) is a reclusive woodsman who Jesper only encounters after all but failing to entice any of the other residents of Smeerensburg to use the postal service. This comes from a community that all but fundamentally doesn't know how to read and write, despite having a "school" ostensibly run by the embittered teacher turned fishmonger, Alva (Rashida Jones). And this is because children aren't allowed to go to school, since the town is comprised of two fiercely feuding families--the Krums and the Ellingboes--who refuse to let their kids mingle. So great is the animosity that when Jesper arrives at Smeerensburg and he rings the "battle bell"--at the knowing behest of the ferryman, Mogens (Norm Macdonald)--that the two families come out to brawl in the town square with deadly weapons...much to Jesper's chagrin. Whether Jesper's father deliberately set him up for failure or not is unknown to the son, who struggles to come up with any way to motivate people to send a letter. This first comes when a child draws himself trapped in his upstairs bedroom, looking sad. Jesper tries to compel the kid to give him a penny to pay for the postage, and inadvertently leaves the letter in his bag as he is being chased by the kid's parent's angry dogs. Then, when he is looking over a map of the island, he is informed that up in the far reaches of the island dwells the eponymous Klaus. Desperate, Jesper gets it into his head that he might be able to deliver mail for this hermit at least, who half scares the postman half to death after seeing his burly silhouette carrying an axe. Instead, Jasper discovers that Klaus has a penchant for making handcrafted toys, and Klaus compels Jasper to deliver a package to the sad-looking kid in the drawing. Despite challenges necessitating Jasper travelling down the chimney to leave the wooden frog for the boy, Jasper makes his first delivery...but not his last.
Klaus is consistent with many big budget animated films, featuring high-quality computer-generated animation (CGI) and celebrity voice actors. The voice talent suits the characters, and it may well be the case that these actors were cast for their popularity and recognizable voices before the characters were designed or animated even. In fact, part of the fun of a movie like this might be trying to guess whose voice matches each character before the credits roll, asking yourself, "gee, I know that voice, but from where?" Klaus is an unusual Christmas movie in that it doesn't rely on preexisting source material (except for Santa Claus, of course) in order to tell its story of giving and humility. The feuding families of Smeerensburg--an obvious riff on the Hatfields and McCoys--make for a totally plausible backdrop for a Christmas story. In a way, everyone in Klaus is a "Scrooge", until Klaus himself commits an unprompted act of kindness--giving a child a toy without expecting anything in return. As Klaus says, "a truly selfless act always sparks another." This implies that the intent is, at least in part, to foster generosity for its own sake; but Klaus doesn't have this in mind at the time of his own spark of generosity. Klaus harbors a sad past, where his wife had passed away due to illness before they could have children. Klaus crafted his house full of toys with the intent of giving it to his own children, although that opportunity was lost. It is his sympathy for a child who he sees as trapped and sad that compels him to essentially "press gang" Jesper into service. But just like Klaus said, this selfless act--even if it takes a great deal of time--does rub off on Jepser. Before long, Jesper is truly invested in the welfare of Smeerensburg, his post, and even his blossoming relationship with Alva. In this, Klaus represents the true meaning of the Christmas Spirit better than most Christmas movies. It isn't about getting presents or the crunch to make everything perfect for family gatherings. It is about showing love to your neighbor, about doing something kind not because you expect something in return, but because it is the right thing to do. Jesper and the rest of Smeerensburg (perhaps predictably) discover this by the end of the tale, and the legend of Santa Claus (a.k.a. Klaus) continues on in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.
Recommended for: Fans of a sweet and meaningful Christmas story about giving and about putting aside selfish desires to foster a truly harmonious community. Being an animated Christmas movie, it should come as no surprise that Klaus is altogether family friendly...aside from some creepy scenes involving some townsfolk carrying around a body-shaped parcel in burlap and Alva gutting fish.
Klaus is consistent with many big budget animated films, featuring high-quality computer-generated animation (CGI) and celebrity voice actors. The voice talent suits the characters, and it may well be the case that these actors were cast for their popularity and recognizable voices before the characters were designed or animated even. In fact, part of the fun of a movie like this might be trying to guess whose voice matches each character before the credits roll, asking yourself, "gee, I know that voice, but from where?" Klaus is an unusual Christmas movie in that it doesn't rely on preexisting source material (except for Santa Claus, of course) in order to tell its story of giving and humility. The feuding families of Smeerensburg--an obvious riff on the Hatfields and McCoys--make for a totally plausible backdrop for a Christmas story. In a way, everyone in Klaus is a "Scrooge", until Klaus himself commits an unprompted act of kindness--giving a child a toy without expecting anything in return. As Klaus says, "a truly selfless act always sparks another." This implies that the intent is, at least in part, to foster generosity for its own sake; but Klaus doesn't have this in mind at the time of his own spark of generosity. Klaus harbors a sad past, where his wife had passed away due to illness before they could have children. Klaus crafted his house full of toys with the intent of giving it to his own children, although that opportunity was lost. It is his sympathy for a child who he sees as trapped and sad that compels him to essentially "press gang" Jesper into service. But just like Klaus said, this selfless act--even if it takes a great deal of time--does rub off on Jepser. Before long, Jesper is truly invested in the welfare of Smeerensburg, his post, and even his blossoming relationship with Alva. In this, Klaus represents the true meaning of the Christmas Spirit better than most Christmas movies. It isn't about getting presents or the crunch to make everything perfect for family gatherings. It is about showing love to your neighbor, about doing something kind not because you expect something in return, but because it is the right thing to do. Jesper and the rest of Smeerensburg (perhaps predictably) discover this by the end of the tale, and the legend of Santa Claus (a.k.a. Klaus) continues on in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.
Recommended for: Fans of a sweet and meaningful Christmas story about giving and about putting aside selfish desires to foster a truly harmonious community. Being an animated Christmas movie, it should come as no surprise that Klaus is altogether family friendly...aside from some creepy scenes involving some townsfolk carrying around a body-shaped parcel in burlap and Alva gutting fish.