‘Klaus’ a heartwarming family film any time of year

Want to capture the magic of Christmas during quarantine? This flick will help

Klaus+on+Netflix

The main square in Smeerenburg is the animated film “Klaus.” Netflix photo

Angel Cazares, Staff Writer

Santa Claus is a story that has been retold countless times and yet captures the spirit and message that has grown with moviegoers throughout the years. This is no different from Netflix’s 2019 “Klaus” animated film.

“Klaus” tells the story of a young postman named Jesper Johansson, the son of the general postman. Seeing Jesper getting selfish and lazy, the father sent him to the North Pole to establish a new post office in Smeerenburg.

The film’s animation is one of the best modern takes on traditional animation. Director Sergio Pablos wanted it to be the evolution of what animated films would be like if it went on a different route and he ended up producing one of the smoothest and entertaining films to watch.

The high quality of the cast’s voice acting is one of the phenomenal aspects of the film. Three honorable mentions are Alva, voiced by Rashida Jones, Jesper, voiced by Jason Schwartzman and Klaus, voiced by J.K. Simmons.

Because the producers choose to go for a more realistic Klaus than a mystical character, the film makes you wonder how it is gonna be shown on-screen.

Music and sound design is another phenomenal aspect of the film. It helps audiences identify the dramatic and comedic scenes and in some cases will cause them to be giddy or cry.

Some flaws of “Klaus” are that the townspeople of Smeerenburg never really connect with the audience. At the very end, they pull a cliché that isn’t needed with the characters finding out a truth about Jesper that causes them to split up.

Overall, “Klaus” was able to capture the magic and joy of being a small kid hearing about Santa Claus and awaiting his arrival just to catch one little glimpse. The film is a great choice for any family or animated movie fans to check out.

Rating: 9/10