Klaus (2019) Dir: Sergio Pablos
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I wouldn't class myself as a huge enjoyer of Christmas films. Typically, I find them a little too cheesy for my taste. However, every so often, a film will come along that does it wonderfully, and this Sergio Pablos directed Netflix original is certainly one of those. I had heard so many good things about it, since it came out in 2019, but it was only this year that I finally got around to watching it.
I knew I was gonna like this film from the very first scene - it was interesting, it was funny, and it was well written. These three descriptors also applied to the film as a whole, which I loved. To that end, there was a lot of features of this seasonal adventure that I loved. For starters, I thought that the animation was beautiful - it was just the right mix of classic cartoon and modern animation styling.
I think my favourite thing about this wonderful film, though, is that it felt like the animated films I grew up with; it was creative, it was heartwarming, and it was highly amusing. For me, it was a very creative take on a Christmas story, which feels almost impossible due to the sheer saturation of a fairly niche genre. But, ultimately, the heartfelt and uplifting nature of the narrative, and its characters, made this a highly enjoyable animated treasure.
I thought that Jason Schwartzman was extremely enjoyable as the film's postman protagonist. Schwartzman was very expressive with his voice, and was able to illustrate, along with the stellar animation, the emotional journey undertaken by his character very nicely. This was a very pleasant performance, in my view.
J.K. Simmons didn't have many lines of dialogue, certainly not as many as I had expected, but those he did deliver, were done so with the subtle emotions that Simmons can often sneak into his performances with a fine finesse. He also just had the ideal voice for the character, and certainly felt the part.
Of the supporting cast, I felt that the two standouts were very clearly Rashida Jones and Joan Cusack, while the likes of Norm Macdonald, Will Sasso, and the director himself; Sergio Pablos, all provided noteworthy voice acting performances in their own rights, albeit to a lesser degree.
Overall, this is legitimately one of the best Christmas films I've ever watched. It has a warmth to it that is impossible to resist, and a charm that will melt even the coldest of hearts. There was so much to love about this one, and I really think its perfect for both adults and children over the Christmas period. I honestly just wish it had a physical media release.
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